Desire is Sweet Pleasure is Sweeter
by kidadigasha
Summary: Cassandra Brown was humiliated by Reid Gariwn, and fled to her hometown in Vermont to escape her peers. But when her parents send her back to Ipswich, everyone discovers that the once quiet girl has changed. Can she and Reid work things out?
1. Chapter 1

**PROLOGUE**

_In one night, my life took an incredible turn. For better or worse, I still haven't decided. All I know is that one night and one boy made me see, really see, the world. I was pulled from my safe fantasies and thrown into reality. And that night, because of one blond boy, I changed._

_I had grown up searching for that special person, the prince from fairy tales. The one who would wait until he had my entire heart, and I his, before even trying to pull me beneath the sheets for a passionate expression of our love. I was so focused on finding that guy, that I turned my nose up at the boys I had classes with, convinced that none of them would be good enough. Although I noticed that I had a slight attraction to the bad boys in movies, I shrugged it off. By eighth grade, when my classmates were experimenting with each other with their bodies, I was sitting at home and reading, perfectly content with the fact that I had never kissed a boy. Convinced that my experience, or lack thereof, wouldn't matter to the special someone I was looking for. My friends tried nonstop to get me to date around, but I happily refused. Going to parties was fun, but I just didn't feel like hooking up._

_And then, the summer before my freshman year of high school, my parents announced that we would be moving. Not just to a different county or school district, but to a completely different state. And not only that, but we had only two weeks to pack up and hit the road. That meant two weeks to say good bye to my friends, the girls and boys who I had basically grown up with. Of course, they threw a huge going away party for me, inviting everyone from our soon-to-be freshman class. And when the party ended, I cried. And when we loaded everything into the car and Uhaul, I cried. I hadn't wanted to leave Richmond, Vermont and move to Ipswich, Massachusetts and attend some prestigious preppy school known as Spencer Academy for my freshman year. _

_That year, I acquired a nickname: the quiet girl. I didn't talk to anyone, didn't really try to make friends, did all of my homework on time, and spent the time when I wasn't in class in my dorm room. That was probably one of the very few good things about Spencer: dorm rooms and no parents to nag you. My roommate was always out doing something and coming in late, so I usually had the room to myself, which was nice. It meant I could relax on my computer and chat with my friends from Vermont._

_I still remember my first day. Sure, it was everyone's first day, but they all knew each other. Which meant that they knew I was a newcomer. And I was the main topic of discussion among every group of friends. How do I know? Because every time I passed a group of students, they stopped talking and just watched me. Creepy, huh? I thought so. _

_That was also the day I learned of the Sons of Ipswich, the boys who had basically been famous since birth. Caleb Danvers, Pogue Parry, Reid Garwin, and Tyler Sims. The four boys who, in less than a month, basically ran the school. All because everyone knew of their ancestry. Girls, freshmen through seniors, probably had little cat fights over which one would be dating a Son after the current girlfriend. I fully agreed that the boys, especially Reid Garwin, were amazing to look at, even at the age of fourteen. But I didn't fall over my own shoes whenever they stepped into a room... or at least I made sure no one was watching when I did. _

_My sophomore year was relatively similar. I didn't talk to anyone, did all of my homework, and stayed in my room. But then, halfway through the year, everything changed. And I was the last one to know why it had changed. I had been sitting in class on a Monday, waiting for the final bell to ring so that I could escape the eyes of my peers, who seemed a little more interested in me than normal and to be honest it had creeped me out. When the bell finally rang, I grabbed my things and headed for the door. That was the first day Reid Garwin had ever spoken to me. As he was pushing past other students, he turned, smiled and said "hi". I even remember that my jaw had dropped, because none of the Sons of Ipswich talked to me, the quiet girl. _

_And the next day, it happened again. Reid Garwin talked to me. And instead of one word, he spoke three... at first. He had turned around in his seat at the beginning of a class and asked, "How are you?" After overcoming the shock, I had replied, and next thing I knew we were having a conversation that the teacher broke up so we'd pay attention. And so it went on. Every day, he would talk to me and I'd talk back. I should have been suspicious, but instead I was silently happy that the cute blond boy was paying attention to me. How naive I had been._

_Two months passed, and we continued to have conversations. He truly seemed interested in me, asking about my life in Vermont, my family, my classes. Everything a friend would ask. After four months, our conversations continued outside of class, during lunch, free periods, and after school in each other's dorms. Things between us seemed to be going great, and I couldn't help but realize that I was looking forward to seeing him. And I realized that I had my first real crush. _

_And then, three months before the end of school, I found myself sitting in Reid's dorm, relaxing on his bed beside him, reading. His arm had slipped beneath my neck a while ago, his other hand holding a book. Yes. Who would have thought that the bad boy Reid Garwin reads? I surely didn't until my first time in his dorm, where I saw that both him and his roommate, Tyler Sims, each had bookshelves full of various books. This day, said roommate was MIA, but I hadn't minded. I had grown comfortable hanging out with Reid, with and without other people. _

_His arm shifted as he had closed his book and tossed it onto the floor. I hadn't thought anything of it, until he had slowly pulled my own book from my hands and tossed it on the floor as well. "You really need to stop reading those trashy romance novels."_

_I had chuckled, rolling my eyes. "For the hundredth time, they're not trashy."_

_"Sure they are. And they fill your head with unrealistic fantasies about guys," he countered playfully._

_"They do not!" I laughed, gently punching him in the side and sitting up. "But at least the guys in books can really pleasure a girl."_

_"You think so?" he had asked, sitting up as well and shifting to look at me straight on. _

_"I know so," I had replied, still smiling. _

_"Says the girl who still hasn't been kissed," Reid had smirked, receiving a playful shove from me, almost knocking him off the edge of the bed. Before I had had a chance to jump off the bed, he had grabbed me, holding on firmly._

_I had twisted my arm and at the same time tried to jump up in an attempt to get free, but instead ended up landing on my back on the bed, laughing and shouting at him to let go as I rolled around. He had moved over me in an attempt to stop my movements and effectively pinning me to the bed. And then something in his bright blue eyes had changed. The new gleam in his eyes was one that I would soon learn meant one thing. My breathing had faltered as his head had slowly bent toward mine. _

_"I can show you that the guys in books aren't the only ones who can pleasure a girl." His warm breath caressed my skin as his lips grazed my neck, making me inhale sharply. "Want me to?" His body had pressed against mine as his lips moved up my neck and across my jaw line, kissing a slow path to my lips. All I could do was whimper as my body began to tingle. His fingers had trailed down my side, sending a shiver through me, before slipping under the hem of my shirt. As soon as his fingers met my skin, I had arched up into him, letting out a little gasp. He had smirked, taking that as a yes, and had claimed my mouth. _

_I hate to admit it, but my first kiss had been amazing. His tongue had quickly learned the contours of my mouth as his hands learned every curve I possessed. I had become lost in the pleasure of his mouth against mine, his hands on me, that I allowed him to pull off one garment at a time, eager to reclaim his lips. Before I knew it, our bodies were flush against each other, skin on skin. His mouth had quickly dropped down to tease my nipples, drawing moan after moan from me as my hips arched against him. And then he had hovered over me, the tip of his manhood poised for penetration. Still slightly dazed by the pleasure of his mouth, I had spread my legs wider. And when he thrust into me for the first time, pleasure and pain exploded inside me, fighting for dominance. He pulled out and then plunged into me again, and again, his hips finding a fast rhythm that he liked. My body arched in time to his thrusts, and I felt my stomach clench, its pit becoming hotter. _

_I had grabbed at his shoulders, pulling him deeper into me as the heat turned to a burn, and my muscles began to convulse. The muscles in my center contracted as my nails dug into his skin, and then the first real wave of pleasure washed over me, followed by another, as my release came, and I cried in joy, "Oh, Reid!" And then I felt the shudders take his body as mine began to die down, and moments later, his release filled me. We had collapsed onto the bed and he rolled off me, both of us panting. _

_And then he had stood and began gathering my clothes, tossing them to me. Frowning, I had sat up. "What are you doing?"_

_He had glanced my way before grabbing his boxers and tugging them on. "I'm supposed to meet up with the guys soon."_

_Confused, I hadn't moved. "What?"_

_He looked at me again as he buttoned his jeans around his lean hips. "No offense, but Tyler doesn't like me leaving girls in our dorm after sex. So, you're going to have to leave."_

_"But... we...." I hadn't known what to say. I was so confused, and slightly hurt. _

_"We what?" he had asked, seeming somewhat amused. _

_"We... we just had sex," I said. _

_"Yeah, so? It was just sex. No big deal." Those words rang in my ears. Just sex. No big deal. I had numbly crawled from the bed and pulled on my clothes. He ushered me to the door and opened it, waving me out. Closing it behind us, he nodded at me. "Thanks for the fun. See you around." And then he had turned and walked down the hall. _

_I had slowly walked back to my own dorm, ignoring any and all people I saw. As soon as the dorm door closed behind me, realization had hit. I had just give Reid Garwin my virginity, and he had treated it like it was nothing. Like I was one of his usual play girls. I groaned, burying my face in my hands. I had let him turn me into a play thing. But the next day, I had realized that that wasn't the worst of it. _

_I had walked through the halls, trying to ignore the dull ache between my legs. Glancing around, it had seemed like more people were staring at me than normal. And then my roommate had run up to me and dragged me into the nearest girls bathroom, which was surprisingly empty. Her words shocked me. _

_"You let Reid win the bet?"_

_Frowning, I had asked, "What? What bet?"_

_"Aaron Abbott bet Reid that he couldn't get you into bed before the end of school," she had said quickly, looking slightly impressed. "In fact, most of us were sure he'd lose."_

_"I– what?"_

_"You had sex with Reid yesterday, right?"_

_"How... how do you know that?"_

_"Everyone knows!" she had exclaimed. _

_And that was when I had learned the truth. Reid had only started talking to me to he could get close to me, and then he had taken my virginity for his own sick pleasure. To win a stupid bet. After hearing that, I had returned to my dorm. Humiliation burned my face, sinking deeper into me the more I thought about what had happened. And when I was sure everyone was in their classes, I had called my parents and demanded that they send me back to Vermont. ASAP. They didn't know why, because I refused to tell them, but they had agreed. And three days later, we had been on our way back to my home town. _

_But it was too late. The change inside me had already begun. In fact, it had begun the moment Reid Garwin had kissed me. _


	2. Chapter 2

Music blasted from the stereo speakers and pounded through me. Grinning, I took another swing from the Dr McGillicuddy's bottle in my hand and fell into step with my best friend, Clarissa Maddens, letting my hips roll in time to the music. Many people might find girl on girl grinding strange, but to me, it was just fun. Plus, the guys seemed to love it. I looked around, flashing smiles at cute boys and winking at a few. Hands grabbed my waist and pulled me into a warm, hard body. Biting my bottom lip, I leaned my head back and wrapped my arms around my new partner's neck, the bottle still in my hand. His hips moved against mine and we began grinding.

Clarissa winked at me before taking another boy's hand and pulling him toward the stairs. I chuckled and turned to face my dance partner. A few inches taller than my five foot four frame, his black hair was spiked and his hazel green eyes sparkled with mischief. He grinned as my hands trailed down his chest, slipping beneath the unbuttoned plaid shirt and gently sliding it off his shoulders. He bent and took my mouth eagerly as his hands gripped my hips and pulled me closer. Smirking into the kiss, I pushed my tongue past his lips, where it began a fast paced dance with his.

"Cassie!"

Sighing, I pulled away and turned to face the person who had yelled my name. Derek was pushing through the crowd. His light brown hair looked like hands had run through it multiple times, and his playful green eyes were alight. "What's up?" I asked, unable to help the smile that crossed my lips as I looked at him.

"Why is it that whenever I find you, you have your lips locked with another guy?" he asked, giving me an exasperated look.

I grinned. "Because you always come looking for me at bad time?" His lips twitched, but he rolled his eyes, still trying to act annoyed. Chuckling, I stepped away from the boy behind me. "Sorry. Did you want something?"

"Yeah, just thought you'd want a hit," Derek answered, giving me a lopsided grin and waving toward the back porch.

I spun to face the boy and smiled. "Sorry, gotta go. Maybe we'll finish this later." Without waiting for a reply, I grabbed Derek's hand and dragged him toward the back door. Once outside, I plopped down between two other boys and waited for a third boy to finish packing the pipe. He lit it and inhaled before passing it off. When my turn came, I snagged the lighter from the first boy, lit the bowl, and inhaled deeply, feeling the smoke swirl into my lungs. Holding my breath as I passed the pipe, I waited until a slight burn began building in the back of my throat before slowly let my breath out, watching the smoke curl into the air. When the pipe was handed to me again, I took another hit and then passed it along, waiting a little longer before exhaling. Suddenly a few shouts came from inside the house.

"Damn drunks," Derek said, standing and heading for the door. I followed, ready to help break up a fight. We pushed past people, making our way to the front door where the commotion seemed to be coming from.

"Let me in!"

"Get out of here!"

"Let me in, I need to talk to her!"

I groaned, recognizing the voice. My eyes caught Clarissa coming down the stairs, probably due to hearing the commotion from upstairs. I rushed over, blocking her way. "Get back upstairs. I'll take care of him." The red head nodded and hurried back up to the second floor. Taking a deep breath, I walked over to Derek, who was now blocking the front doorway.

"Dude, get out of here," Derek said, crossing his arms.

"No. I need to talk to that little bitch."

"What the fuck do you want, asshole?" I asked sharply, pushing past Derek to glare at the brown haired boy on the steps.

Rob's dark eyes narrowed at me. "Where's Clarissa?"

"Not here," I lied smoothly.

"Bullshit," he spat.

I opened my arms and waved at the door and windows that looked into the living room and people. "Do you see her? No. 'Cause she's not here."

"You two are always together. I know she's here."

"Will you just get lost?" I shot back.

"Not until I talk to her! She's with another guy, isn't she?" he asked angrily.

"Even if she was, it doesn't matter!" I argued. "You guys aren't together anymore!" He took a step forward, and so did I. "Unless you want the cops involved, then you'd better get lost."

His lips twisted into a sneer. "You call the cops and you'll all get busted for underage drinking. Now get the fuck out of my way."

I folded my arms and lifted my chin, glaring at him. "Make me." His hand snatched my arm and yanked me to the side, but I grabbed his wrist, keeping my balance. "I was hoping you'd do that." My other hand fisted in his hair and brought his face down as I brought my knee up. A sickening crunch sounded, and I shoved him to the ground as blood spurted from his nose.

"Fucking bitch," he growled, glaring up at me.

"Asshole," I shot back, turning around and walking back to the front door. When Derek stepped forward, I spun around to find Rob standing as well. "Seriously, I'll call the cops on your ass. I don't give a damn about the underage drinking." And then the sound of faint sirens met my ears, and flashing lights caught my attention. Turning quickly, I shouted, "COPS!"

Mayhem broke out. People poured from the house, running to their cars and banching away from the scene. Derek ran inside and through the window, I saw him racing around, collecting pipes and bottles and searching for hiding places. I moved to help him, but instead grabbed Rob's shirt collar and yanked him back.

"Don't even think about it," I snarled. He grabbed my hand and shoved me back, but I regained my footing quickly and shoved him even harder.

"Break it up!"

I stopped at the command, not wanting to get into even more trouble with the police. But Rob decided to milk his injury. He jumped up and pointed at me, his other hand going to his most likely broken nose. "She assaulted me."

"Assaulted? Why you whiny son of a –"

"MISS!" the cop yelled, cutting me off and making me realize I had taken a couple more steps toward the asshole. I snapped my mouth shut and simply glared at the boy. The officer walked over to us and examined Rob's face before turning to me. "Did you hit him?"

"Yes, but only because he shoved me first," I said.

The cop nodded as more blue and white lights flashed through the night. Another cop car pulled up and a new officer climbed out. The first officer motioned to Rob, and the new guy walked over and pulled Rob's arms behind his back and cuffed him. Feeling somewhat satisfied, I felt my forehead crease as the first cop pulled my hands behind my back and cold metal circled my wrists. Damn.

* * * * * * *

"You guys can't be serious!" I said, appalled. I stared at my parents from my spot on my bed.

"Honey, we can't think of anything else," my dad said. "You keep getting into trouble."

"I've only been at the police station once!" I argued. "And that was just because of what happened last night."

"But the cops have called us a few times and asked us to come pick you up at parties," my mom added. She held up her hand when I opened my mouth to protest, and I closed it again. "Not to mention the number of times you've visited the principle this year. It's not even half way through the year! Honestly I think we're being pretty reasonable."

I clenched my teeth and glanced away. Yes, they were being very reasonable, considering some of the things I've done. But still! "Then find a school in Vermont or New Hampshire or something. You guys can't send me back to Ipswich!"

"You're aunt Diane and cousin Richard have agreed to keep an eye on you," my dad said, ignoring my comment.

Folding my arms, I glared at the floor, knowing it was useless to argue. "When do I leave?"

"Two days," my parents said together.

Clenching my teeth, I mumbled, "Fine." Great. Two days to pack all my things and say good bye to my friends, again. Two days until I was thrown back into the hellhole I had been humiliated at. Fan-fucking-tastic.


	3. Chapter 3

I followed Provost Higgins out of his office, having just received the whole speech about being on my best behavior, what the school rules are, my classes and dorm information, and anything else he deemed appropriate to tell me, even though I had gone to this school before. I just sat there and listened, wanting it to be over so I could go back to my dorm and finish unpacking. He motioned for me to take a seat in one of the waiting chairs in the office, and I did.

"Please send a summons for Mr. Danvers," he said, smiling at the secretary. "I've already spoken to him about being a guide."

"Guide?" I repeated.

The provost turned to me. "Yes. I've arranged for him to show you around and, in a sense, take you under his wing for the next couple days."

My eyes widened. "What? No, that's not necessary!" He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I, well I've been here before, remember? I still know my way around, so I don't need a guide."

He nodded once. "However, it's been a couple years, so I would like you to have a guide. A friendly face should you have any problems."

"Sir, really. I'll be fine. You don't need to call him," I insisted. The last thing I needed was one of the Sons of Ipswich near me. One of the buddies of the blond jackass.

"And I insist that you let him show you around." The tone of his voice was that of finality, and I slumped back into my chair. He turned back to the woman. "Call for him. Thank you." And then he returned to his office. The secretary busied herself with paperwork after pulling a student with a free period aside and giving him a note to take to Caleb Danvers's class, leaving me to silently stew.

With any other student who was not a Son of Ipswich as a guide, I would be fine. But the fact that they had decided to rope one of Reid Garwin's friends into this really pissed me off. My plan had been simple: get here, take the classes, ignore any and all students, and then graduate and return to Vermont. Maybe have a little bedroom fun in between. But the one thing I had really hoped for was to avoid the Sons of Ipswich. So much for that!

The office door opened, pulling me from my thoughts. As soon as I looked up, I inwardly groaned. Caleb Danvers stood in the doorway, short dark hair, amazing chocolate eyes, full lips, perfect tan, and based on the way his uniform hugged his body, a most likely great body. All in all, still eye candy. Which made me think that if he looked this good now, then the other three boys probably did as well. Fucking great.

He smiled warmly at the secretary, revealing perfect white teeth, before turning to me. "Hi. Ready to go?" Oh, he was so polite.

I nodded and stood, waving to the secretary as we left. As soon as the door shut behind us and we were a short distance down the hall, I stopped and looked at him. "Here's the deal. I don't need a guide, I can get around on my own. I've been here before, so I know where everything is. Now you can run along and do whatever, and I'll go back to my dorm and finish unpacking. Okay? Good."

He blinked, looking taken aback. "Uh, no. Not okay."

"Why not?" I asked, folding my arms loosely over my chest.

"Because if any teachers see us apart when we're not in class, then they'll call the provost and we'll both be in trouble," Caleb answered.

I pursed my lips and glared at the office door. He was probably right, and I really didn't need the provost calling my parents and complaining... yet. "Fine. Where to first, oh great leader?"

"Um, how about a refresher of the campus?" he suggested.

I shrugged. "Guess so."

We started down the hallway again in silence, before he broke it. "So, you say you've been here before. But I don't remember you."

"They didn't tell you who you're supposed to show around?" I asked, glancing at him. When he shook his head, I sighed. "I'm Cassie Brown." I watched his reaction from the corner of my eye, and saw recognition flash across his features. Yes, everyone in the school had learned my name the day the bet was made, and everyone remembered it the day the bet was won. And clearly, people still knew it. Although it's possible that only the seniors and juniors know me, since the others we'd gone to school with had already graduated. Hey, a girl can hope, right? That'd be better than the entire school knowing. Caleb cleared his throat uncomfortably, and scratched the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at me. "Oh, uh, yeah, now I remember you."

"I'm sure everyone will," I replied, noting that my voice was a little colder. He must have noticed it as well, because he cast me a slightly surprised look. "So how long do we have to walk around before we can go our separate ways?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Uh, probably until the end of school."

"Great," I sighed.

By the time the final bell rang, Caleb and I had gone all around the campus and found all of my classrooms. We were now standing in front of the dorms, about to go our separate ways, when a long haired boy came up and pounded Caleb's fist. "Dude, party at the Dells tomorrow night."

Caleb smiled. "Great. Can't wait."

The boy turned to me and smiled, holding out his hand. "Pogue Parry. You must be the new girl."

I half heartedly shook his hand Yep, looks like all of the Sons were probably going to be drop dead gorgeous. "I'm not new. I was here a couple years ago."

"Really? I don't recognize you," Pogue said, tilting his head slightly.

"Yeah. I'm Cassie Brown." I watched the recognition flash across his face as well and then turned to Caleb. "Thanks for the unneeded tour. I'm guessing you need to walk me to each of my classes tomorrow?" When he nodded, I sighed. "Fine. I'm in room three thirty two. See you in the morning." As I headed for my dorm, I noticed people watching me and whispering. Just great. I was the main topic of conversation at the school. Again.

After I finished unpacking, I fell back onto my bed and stared up at the ceiling. Now what to do? As if in answer to my silent question, the dorm door opened and two girls walked in. I instantly recognized them. Kira Snyder and Rebecca Nelson, my old roommate. Wonderful. Both girls paused when they saw me, and Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "Uh, are you my new roommate?"

"I wouldn't exactly call me new, considering we were roommates freshman and most of sophomore year," I said, pushing myself into a sitting position.

Her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped. "Cassie?"

"Well duh," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Cassie Brown?" Kira asked, and I could almost see the wheels turning in her head as gossip formed. "As in the bet girl?"

So I went from the quiet girl to the bet girl. Interesting. "No, you dingbat. That was the other Cassie Brown," I said sarcastically.

Kira's eyes narrowed slightly. "What are you doing back here? After you ran away, we were all sure you'd gone to bury your head in a hole or something from embarrassment. If I were you, I wouldn't dare show my face around this place again."

"Well it's a good thing you're not me, then, isn't it?" I smirked. "Well, it's probably a real good thing you're not me, 'cause then I'd have to be you and, honestly, I'd definitely have to bury my head in a hole from embarrassment." My smirk turned smug as I watched the redhead's cheeks flush from anger.

"Kira, I'll talk to you later, okay?" Rebecca girl jumped in.

"What?" Kira asked, turning her eyes to her dark blond friend.

"I'll meet you at your dorm in a little while, okay?" Rebecca added before giving a pointed look at the door. With one last glare at me, the redhead turned and left. She turned back to me. "Cassie, what are you doing back?"

I shrugged. "My parents decided that I was getting into a little too much trouble up there, so they sent me back here."

"You? Getting into trouble?" Rebecca laughed, shaking her head. "Since when are you a trouble maker?"

"Since I decided that I really liked sex," I replied casually. "Not to mention when you get on first name bases with the local cops, you know that you guys have met too much."

"What! You?"

"Yes, me," I smirked. Her jaw dropped again and she stared at me, her eyes wide. I shrugged again. "I've changed."

"I guess so," she said slowly, her eyes really taking me in this time. "So, uh, what are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing that I know of."

"Me and Kira are going to Nicky's. You want to tag along?"

I quirked my lips to the right, thinking. I remembered that Nicky's was the local bar that let the Spencer and public school seniors in. Did I want to go and get myself on the other students' radar sooner rather than later? With a sigh, I nodded. "Sure. Why not?"


	4. Chapter 4

I smirked at my reflection. Oh yes, I was definitely getting laid tonight. My shoulder length dark brown hair hung from a side part in tight curls, and my light blue eyes were framed with mascara and eyeliner. I had mixed a little silver into my golden tan eyeshadow, and my lips were painted with clear gloss. Silver hoops hung from my ears. A tight, low V-neck red shirt hugged my upper body, while a short dark flowing skirt hung from my hips. All in all, the outfit showed off all of my curves without revealing too much skin. Well, unless you counted how short the skirt was. Because I had lived in Vermont, which had about six months of winter and four months of cooler seasons, it was hard to get a tan. But luckily I had spent about a month straight laying in the sun, so I had a faint tan.

Rebecca walked into the dorm, having gotten ready in the showers, and froze as soon as she saw me. "Daaaamn, girl. You look hot!"

I chuckled. "Thanks. You sound completely surprised." I slipped my feet into a pair of black heeled sandals.

"I just... you never used to wear things like that. You always wore jeans and hoodies. It's just... weird," she said, cocking her head to one side as she appraised me.

"Like I said. I've changed." I grabbed some cash from my wallet and slid it into my cleavage. "So, you ready to party?" I almost burst out laughing at her shocked expression. "Well? Let's go!"

Thirty minutes (and a little bitch fest, thanks to the snobby red head) later, Rebecca parked her car in a parking space and we climbed out. I adjusted my skirt and strutted forward, eager to see the inside of the "popular" bar. As soon as I opened the door, smoke and music slammed me. My lips pulled into a huge smile as I scanned the crowed, already spotting a few good looking guys. Now, how did I want to go about this. My eyes landed on a pool table, where four boys were currently playing.

I glanced at my roommate. "Feel like a game of pool?"

"Not really. Reid and Tyler run the table every time they play, and they win every game," Rebecca said.

"Reid and Tyler?" I frowned. Please no.

"Yeah," Rebecca said slowly, watching me carefully now. "Reid Garwin and Tyler Sims."

I looked back over at the pool table, and noticed a blue eyed blond boy standing beside a blue eyed brunette. My eyes narrowed on their own and I felt my teeth clench as anger shot through me. Yes, I was still absolutely pissed. "Fine. No pool tonight." Pulling my gaze away from the jackass, my eyes fell on a boy my age standing by the bar. Spiked jet black hair, bright green eyes, handsome features, and from I could tell, a pretty decent body. Basically: hot. I grinned and looked at the blond girl. "Don't wait up tonight." And with that, I made my way through the crowd toward my intended target.

I walked up near him and his friend and leaned against the bar, turned so I could watch the dance floor. From my peripheral vision, I saw both boys assess me. I flipped my hair over my shoulder, revealing my neck to them, and watched their eyes follow my hand as it drifted back to my side. And then I waited.

"You must be new."

Hiding my grin, I glanced to the side. The black haired boy was now leaning on the bar at my side. "Why do you say that?" I asked, letting the corners of my lips pull up slightly.

"Because I've never seen you around here."

"So you come here a lot?"

He shrugged and grinned. "From time to time."

My smile grew. "Well, then. Maybe you can help me out."

"With what?" he asked, setting his drink on the bar.

"I'm looking for someone to have a good time with." My eyes trailed his body and then returned to his. "Interested?"

He gave me a cute, lopsided grin. "I might be able to help you out."

The music changed, and my body immediately felt the need to move. "You think so?" When he nodded, I grinned and took his hand, pulling him to the dance floor. "Prove it." I caught a glimpse of Rebecca and Kira sitting at a table, watching me with astonished expressions. A little ways away, Caleb and Pogue were staring at me as well, looking stunned. Smirking to myself, I turned and pressed my back against my dance partner's. His hands found my waist as my hips found the beat and I began to move, feeling his body copy me.

Three songs later, he lead me off the dance floor toward the bar. But I tugged on his hand and motioned toward the front door and parking lot, flashing him a playful smile. A grin lit his face, and he let me pull him from the building. The parking lot was dimly lit with only a few street lights. But that didn't matter. "Do you have a car?"

"This way," he answered, pulling me toward the darker part of the lot. Anticipation hummed through me as we drew closer to a blue jeep Wrangler. He reached into his pocket for keys, but I pushed him against the vehicle before he could pull them out and leaned up to press my lips against his. He grinned into the kiss, and I took that chance to slip my tongue into his mouth. His hands grasped my waist and spun me around so that my back was pressed against the cold exterior of his jeep. Once pinned, he let his hands trail down and slip beneath my skirt, and his fingers found my undergarment and pull the material down. I shimmied my his and legs, helping to rid myself of the thong, and when it fell to my ankles, I kicked it off, not breaking the kiss.

His hands returned to the now bare skin beneath my skirt. While one hand pushed the skirt up around my waist, the other went to my clit. I sucked in air as his fingers stroked me, and gasped when he plunged two fingers into me. He took that chance to drop his lips to my neck, where they began to work their magic. He slid his fingers in and out while his thumb played with my nub, making my body shudder. My hands frantically went to his jeans, trying to undo the button and zipper quickly. I heard him chuckle before his other hand help me, and his jeans and boxers dropped to the ground around his feet, letting his erected manhood show itself. His fingers left me to grab my hips, and I grabbed his shoulders as he lifted me and stepped closer.

I swallowed a moan as he slowly lowered my body, the tip of his penis poised right beneath my opening. Cursing myself, I mumbled, "You got a condom?"

Groaning in frustration, he set me down and unlocked the jeep and leaned in. A few minutes later, he pulled back and slammed the door, already ripping open the little package. I grinned before taking it from him and pulling the condom out. Catching his gaze, I stepped closer and slowly rolled the latex over his member, watching his eyes slide shut as my hands moved up and down a few times. With a shaky breath, he seized my hips and yanked me up again, shoving me against the side of the jeep. This time, he pulled me down and plunged into my opening.

I gasped and let my head fall back against the cold metal as he began to thrust into me over and over. My hips rocked against him each time he entered as I used his shoulders to pull myself against him, pulling him deeper into me each time. The pit of my stomach began to grow hot, and I rocked my hips faster, increasing the pace. Moments later, my muscles contracted, and a wave a pleasure washed over me. I cried out and buried my face in the crook of his neck, nipping his skin as another moan followed another wave. That did it for him, and I felt his body shudder before he growled and pressed his body against me harder, pushing even deeper into me as his release came. We remained like that, my legs and arms wrapped around him, panting, letting the last of the pleasure roll off us.

"That was... great," he panted.

I nodded. "Yeah." I breathed in and looked at him, a grin playing on my lips. He chuckled before setting me down and pulling up his boxers and jeans. Good, I didn't have to worry about him being clingy. It was just sex, and he understood that. I found my thong and shook it off before slipping it back on. I readjusted my clothes and began walking back toward the bar. His hand grabbed my wrist and spun me around, and his lips pressed against mine for another kiss.

When he pulled back, he grinned. "We should do this again."

"Well, if we're going to be buddies, it'd be nice to know names," I replied, smiling. Yes, he would be someone I'd love to have fun with a few more times.

"Brendan," he said, still grinning.

"Cassie," I returned. "Do you go to Spencer?"

"Nope. Public."

"Hmm. That's a shame. It would've been nice to see you in between classes." I winked.

He chuckled. "That just means we'll have to hang out more often."

"We'll see." I turned and again headed for the bar, and this time he followed. We entered the bar and a second later Rebecca was in front of me.

"Kira and I are heading out. Some drunk spilled alcohol all over her shirt," she said, motioning to the red head to was already pushing her way out the door. "You, uh, want to come or stay?"

I looked at Brendan, who shrugged, grinned and walked away to find his friend. "Sure. I'll head back with you." Rebecca's eyes fell to my neck and she shook her head. "What?"

"I hope you had fun, you little slut," she said, smiling.  
"Oh, I had a blast," I said, following her out the bar.


	5. Chapter 5

I glowered at my reflection. Uniforms. I was back to wearing these stupid uniforms. I turned, trying to see myself from all angles. Nope. Uniforms were not my thing. I had hated them when I had first moved down here and throughout my freshman and sophomore years, and I still hated them. I mean, sure, it might be a cute outfit any other time. But the fact that every other girl in the school was wearing the same thing made it extremely unappealing. I let out an annoyed huff and looked around the room. My eyes landed on a pair of scissors and I smirked. Maybe I wouldn't completely look like every other girl.

Half an hour later there was a knock on the door. Rebecca's eyes followed me as I went to answer it. I didn't see why it was so shocking. It was just a little adjustment. I opened the door and found Caleb and Pogue on the other side. Caleb smiled politely and then shock took over his features. Seriously, I hadn't changed it that much! What was the big deal? I had only cut two inches off the skirt and tied the bottom of the button up shirt so that a tiny bit of my stomach showed, and only when I moved. Even Pogue looked a little stunned.

"I really don't understand why you guys are so shocked," I said, looking between the two boys and my roommate. "I mean seriously!"

"It's just...." Caleb trailed off and looked at his friend, who seemed lost for words.

"No one really messes with the uniforms," Rebecca supplied, shrugging. "And we knew you as the quiet girl who always tried to cover her uniform. It's just... weird." She shook her head and sighed.

"Well apparently I turned into the bet girl," I said, rolling my eyes. I caught the look Caleb and Pogue shared and felt a brief flash of anger. I breathed in deeply and slowly let it out, and felt the anger fade. I grabbed my messenger bag and slung it over my shoulder. "Alright, let's go. The sooner the day is over the sooner the year will be over."

"Why do you want the year to be over?" Rebecca frowned.

"Because I miss Vermont," I answered. "No offense, but I did not want to come back here."

"Oh. It's okay. I sort of understand why...." She trailed off and looked away.

No, she didn't understand. No one did. But I wasn't going to argue with her. "See you later." Out in the hall, I followed the two boys down the stairs and out onto the campus.

"So, what class do you have first?" Caleb asked.

I pulled my schedule out and skimmed it. "History."

"Oh, that's my class, too," Caleb said, smiling.

"Oh joy," I sighed.

"You know, you could at least pretend to be grateful for his help," Pogue said.

I plastered a huge, cheeky smile on my face and turned to Caleb. "Thank you so much, Mr. Danvers, for taking this time to help me on my first day of school. I know you must have better things to do, but it really means a lot to me that you're willing to do this." Pogue snorted in amusement, and Caleb shook his head, a tiny smile pulling his lips up. "Is that better?" I asked, looking at the long haired boy and letting my smile fall.

He shrugged. "It would have been better without the sarcasm."

I rolled my eyes, but didn't reply. Half an hour later, after grabbing some breakfast in the cafeteria, I followed the two boys into my first class. From the looks of the other students, I'd say the Sons of Ipswich were still running the school. I paused near the teacher's desk while the other students walked in and took their seats, eying me as they passed. The teacher called for attention, and a hush fell over the room.

"Good morning, everyone," Mr. Baker said. "Before we begin, I'd like to introduce you all to our new student. Some of you may remember her from a couple years ago." He waved his hand in my direction. "This is Cassandra Brown."

Immediately, one or two people began whispering, and then a few more joined in. Yep, they remembered me. Great. I caught a glimpse of Caleb and Pogue in the stadium, and then it felt like someone had punched me in the stomach, knocking all the wind out of me, when I saw who they were sitting next to. Tyler Sims was looking at me, his eyebrows pulled together slightly, and beside him was the blond jackass, Reid Gariwn. And lucky me, Reid was also staring at me. As soon as my eyes met his blue ones, hot anger stabbed my chest and flared out through my body. His eyebrows rose the tiniest bit. It took everything in me not to glare at him and give him a piece of my mind right then and there. I inhaled slowly, trying to calm myself.

"Ms. Brown, you can find a seat," Mr. Baker said, motioning to the stadium, completely oblivious.

I pulled my gaze from Reid and looked at the teacher, smiling pleasantly. "Thank you, sir." And then I headed for the stairs and up into the stadium, finding an empty seat about halfway up right next to the stairs. Perfect. I dropped down into it and began taking out my book and notebook, ignoring the stares and whispers of my classmates. Although I did catch a few things. _"Cassie?", "Isn't that the bet girl?", "Why is she back?", "... the bet girl...." _

Yay for gossip.

The class began, and I tried to tune out the voices of my peers. Oh yes, this year was going to be hell. Fan-fucking-tastic.

It felt like three days had passed by the time the final bell rang. I grabbed my things and quickly pushed my way past the students, desperate to get out of the school. Each class had been the same. The teacher would introduce me and then the gossip train would start rolling again. And unfortunately, all of the seniors remembered me. And even more unfortunately, Reid Garwin seemed to be in all of my classes. In all honesty, if people hadn't been staring, I probably would have banged my head against the desk halfway through the last class, just to celebrate my horrible luck. Well that, and the thought that I didn't want a huge bruise on my forehead for the party at the dells.

As soon as I was in my dorm, I dropped my bag, jumped onto my bed, buried my face in the pillow, and screamed. I just wanted to go home! I missed everyone in Vermont, especially Clarissa and Derek. Yes, I had messed up a lot back home. And no, I had never told my parents about Reid. So they couldn't know how bad it was to send me back to Ipswich. Me being back here was my fault, and I knew that. I screamed again and dug my nails into the pillow. When I heard the door open, I sighed and rolled over to look at my roommate.

"What are you doing?" Rebecca asked.

I shrugged. "Getting out my frustrations."

She raised an eyebrow. "Um, Kira and I are going to grab some food before the party. Do you want to come?"

"Nah, it's fine. You don't need to babysit me," I added, smiling. "I just need a ride there tonight."

Rebecca shook her head. "Talking about a party with you is weird."

I laughed and laid back on the bed. "Wait 'til you see me at the party. Granted, it probably won't be as good as the ones in Vermont, but I'll survive."

"Hey, the parties here are a blast," Rebecca laughed. "Just because we don't party in a barn or something doesn't mean we don't have fun."

"A party in a barn is only if it's raining out," I countered, grinning.

"You sure you don't want to come?"

"I'm sure," I said. When she left, I sighed. _Summer Nights_ by Rascal Flatts began playing as my cell phone vibrated in my bag. I jumped up and dug it out, looked at the caller ID and smiled widely as I flipped it open. "Hey!"

"Hey!" Clarissa said happily. "So, how was the first day?"

"Ugh, horrible. Everyone remembers me! And, the stupid blond jackass is in all of my classes!" I vented, returning to my seat on my bed. "And the provost decided to make one of Reid's friends my guide for the next couple days! I mean seriously, I don't need a guide. I've been here before!" And so it went. For the next half hour, I ranted to my best friend about how much I already hated it here and how I wanted to go back home.

"It's so weird not having you in school," Clarissa put it. I stopped my rants and listened. "Everyone's, well not surprised, but bummed that you had to move."

"Not surprised?" I laughed. "Wow, thanks guys."

"Well you have been getting into trouble."

"Hey, trouble finds me," I countered, grinning.

Clarissa laughed. "Yeah, whatever you say."

Another half an hour later, I sat up and stretched. "Alright, I gotta go find some food and get ready for a party. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. But Cass, please don't get on a first name basis with the cops down there. It's bad enough the local cops up here know you."

I laughed. "You weren't complaining when we got busted at Matt's party." I heard her stifled laugh and grinned. "But okay, I'll try. Bye."

"Bye."

I flipped the phone shut and stood. Where to eat?


	6. Chapter 6

By eight o'clock, I was putting on the finishing touches of my outfit and make up. I stepped back and smiled at my reflection. A red spaghetti strap shirt clung to my upper body, and a short denim skirt hugged my hips, showing off the nice curve of my ass. My hair was pulled up in a stylishly messy bun, and my eyes were framed with black mascara and eyeliner, with a little blue eyeshadow decorating my eyelids and making my eyes pop. Silver hoops hung from my ears, matching the silver stud in my left ear cartilage. I was definitely ready to have some fun.

The dorm door opened and Rebecca walked in, followed by Kira. They had changed in Kira's dorm, so when they saw me, they stopped and stared. I rolled my eyes and huffed playfully. "What now?"

"I can't get over it," Rebecca said, shaking her head. "I don't think I'll ever get over how much you've changed."

"Sure you will," I laughed. "All you have to do is forget who I used to be."

She frowned. "Why would I do that? I liked you the way you were."

I raised an eyebrow. "We barely hung out, or even talked."

She shrugged. "That doesn't mean I didn't like you. It was nice knowing someone who hadn't gotten sucked into the whole party thing."

I quirked my lips, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the conversation. I had changed, and people needed to accept that. "So when are we heading out?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Probably in about fifteen minutes. Kira and I are helping set up, so we have to get there a little early. Is that okay?" Rebecca said.

"Yeah, it's fine."

Two hours later, music was blaring from the portable speakers that had been set up. The DJ was bopping around his table while Spencer students gathered together around the few small bonfires and danced. I had lost Rebecca in the crowd, but didn't mind. I had found a few guys that seemed more than happy to dance with me. I'll admit, I was having a blast! I raised my arms in the air as I swung my hips against my dance partner, an almost empty bottle of Smirnoff in my hand. It felt like another hour had passed by the time I pushed my way out of the dancing crowd.

"Cassie!"

I turned and smiled. "Hey! Okay, so you're right. The party is fun."

Rebecca grinned. "I figured you were having fun, considering the number of guys you've danced with."

"I'm just exploring my options," I replied, flashing her a wicked grin. She just shook her head and fought against a smile. Her eyes found something behind me and her smile grew uncomfortable. I turned to see what she was looking at and clenched my teeth. Wonderful. The Sons of Ipswich were here now. People slowed their dancing and called out to the boys, who waved and smiled while returning hello's. Some blond girl waltzed up to Reid and flipped her hair over her shoulder. I put my third bottle's opening to my lips and downed the rest of the liquid. And then I heard Caleb's voice.

"Cassie!"

Reid's attention was pulled away from the blond and to me, as did the attention of the other two Sons. Greaaaat. I nodded in their direction with a small smile. "Hey, Caleb."

He walked over and smiled down at me, the other three boys behind him. Did they go everywhere together? "How are you?"

Oh, he's trying to be polite. "I'm good."

He motioned to the empty bottle in my hand. "Hope you're not driving."

I couldn't help it. I smiled and tilted my head slightly to the side. "Oh, come on. I drive best when under the influence." Pogue snorted, Caleb shook his head with a little smile, and Tyler looked amused. Even Reid's lips twitched at my comment. So I elaborated. "And besides, if I end up doing something stupid tonight, then I can blame it on the alcohol."

Rebecca playfully shoved my shoulder. "You better not do anything stupid."

"What exactly is your definition of stupid? 'Cause it might be different than mine," I said with a grin.

She huffed in playful annoyance. "Well don't expect me to carry your drunk ass back to the dorm."

I shrugged and tossed the empty bottle into a nearby trash can. "That's alright. I'm sure one of my dance partners would be willing to give me a lift."

"Don't be stupid," Rebecca sighed.

"Again, your idea of stupid and mine might be different." I laughed when she threw her hands in the air in exasperation. Caleb and Pogue shook their heads and Tyler raised an eyebrow. Even Reid looked a little surprised. I looked around and spotted the first guy I'd danced with watching me. My lips twitched as I let my eyes travel the length of him. Yum. "I'll see you guys later."

"What? Where–" Her eyes followed my gaze. "Speaking of stupid."

I looked back at her. "What?" When she gave me a You-Know-What look, I grinned and began walking backwards. "Hey, not my fault. The Smirnoff is telling me to do it." As I turned, my eyes flickered to Reid, who was still watching me, and then I fully turned and made my way to my target. "Hey, Brian."

He grinned at me. "Hey, Cassie. What's up?"

I shrugged nonchalantly and titled my head. "Not much. Feeling a little bored. Want to help me out with that?" I flashed him a suggestive smile, and his grin grew.

He looked at his friends as he took my hand. "See you boys later." They whistled and shouted encouragements as he pulled me up the hill toward the trees.

Suddenly the music stopped. "Cops, cops, cops!" the DJ yelled into his microphone.

Instantly, people were running for the trees, bumping and shoving each other in their rush. My hand slipped from Brian's and people swarmed between us, pushing us in different directions. Faint sirens filled the night, and my heartbeat escalated. Shit! I abandoned my useless attempts at trying to find Brian and began running with the thinning crowd. Engines roared to life and vehicles whipped away from the scene. I scrambled up the rest of the hill and found myself in a basically vehicle-empty area. Rebecca's car was gone, which meant so was she.

"Damn it!" I said loudly as blue lights lit up the night.

"Cassie!" I spun around and saw Pogue standing by a black Hummer. He waved me over. "Hop in!"

I ran over and jumped into the back when he stepped aside. Caleb was already in the back, and Reid was in the passenger's seat while Tyler had claimed the driver's seat. Pogue pulled himself in and as soon as his door was closed, Tyler stepped on the gas and the Hummer lurched forward. Any other day, I probably would have refused a ride from these four. But tonight I didn't feel like explaining to my family why the police had me in custody. The Hummer took a sharp turn, and I slid into Pogue with a startled gasp. Reid whooped and Pogue and Caleb began laughing as Tyler took another sharp turn. Blue lights flashed behind us, and when I looked back I saw two cop cars.

"You're getting better, baby boy," Reid chuckled.

"Practice makes perfect," Tyler replied.

"Alright boys, we better pull over," Caleb sighed, glancing back.

Reid and Tyler groaned in protest, but the Hummer slowed and came to a stop. Tyler put it in park and leaned back in his seat. I turned to look behind us and the cop cars parked and the cops climbed out. The blue lights flashed across the first cop's face and my jaw dropped. No way.


	7. Chapter 7

I watched him shut his door and pull a flashlight from his belt. My moment of shock was instantly replaced by a growing sense of giddiness . Turning quickly, I grabbed Tyler and yanked him from his seat. He yelped in surprise, but I was already crawling over him into the driver's seat and shoving him the rest of the way out of his seat.

"What are you doing?" Tyler demanded as he tried to rearrange himself in the back.

I just grinned, threw the Hummer into drive, and slammed my foot on the gas. The tires spun in place for a few seconds before the vehicle sped forward. With a quick glance in the rear view mirror, my grin grew as I saw the two cops scrambling back into their cars and coming after us, their sirens blaring in the night.

"What the hell are you doing?" Pogue yelled from the back.

My only reply was a whoop as I yanked the wheel to the side, making the Hummer fishtail around a corner.

"Watch it!" Reid hollered, grabbing onto his seat. "Pull the fuck over!"

"Not yet," I said happily in a sing song voice. The cop cars roared up behind us and flashed their headlights, signaling that we needed to stop. But I just laughed and pressed down on the gas pedal more. Either the boys didn't realize that they could easily overpower me and regain control of the Hummer, or they didn't want to risk doing something that would make us crash. Either way, I knew it was about time to slow to a stop anyway. So with one more sharp turn, I slammed my foot on the brake and the Hummer came to an almost abrupt halt. One cop car parked behind us while the over pulled up to park in front of us sideways, blocking us in. I laughed.

"Fuck!" Pogue said. "Why the hell did you do that?"

"Seriously! Now we're going to get in a lot more trouble," Tyler complained.

"Pogue, this is you're fault," Reid said.

"What? How is it my fault?"

"You called her into the Hummer!" Reid answered.

"Oh, shut up," I yelled over them, still smiling. I was watching the cops approach the vehicle, looking extremely annoyed. Before any of the boys could reply, one of the cops appeared at the driver's window. His expression went from one of annoyance, to shock, to really pissed off. He yanked the door open and seized my upper arm firmly before yanking me from the Hummer. I stumbled out and he held me up as he slammed the door and then shoved me against the side of the Hummer. His eyebrows were pulled together in an angry scowl, and his green eyes were narrowed at me.

"Hey!" Pogue said, rolling down his window. "What's with the man handling?"

"What the fuck, Cassie!" the cop snarled. I could just imagine the confused expressions on the boys' faces. I couldn't hold it in any longer, and burst out laughing. He shook my arm in frustration. "This is _not_ funny!"

"Maybe not to you. But to me, it's hilarious," I managed to say between breaths.

He shoved me again and then let go, only to throw his arms in the air. "_This is not funny!_"

"Sure it is," I said when I finally got my laughter under control. I bit my bottom lip when he glared at me again. "Oh, come on. I was just making sure you're prepared. You know, gotta stay on your toes," I grinned. When he continued to glare, I rolled my eyes and reached up to ruffle his hair. "Oh, relax."

"Cassandra," he growled.

"Oooh, using my full name. Wow, you must be mad," I noted casually.

"Do you really think that I won't arrest you?" he asked, folding his arms. The other cop stood nearby, watching us with amusement. I remembered him, too.

"I think you might threaten to do so, but you really won't."

He looked at his friend and nodded at me. His friend smiled and started forward, pulling out his handcuffs. I tilted my head to the side and watched him. "You know, I bet I could think of a few different uses for those."

His steps slowed as his smile turned into a smirk. "Oh, really?"

I nodded as my lips pulled up slightly. "Wanna see?"

"Chris," the first cop growled.

Chris rolled his eyes and walked over to me. He pulled my hands behind my back. "Oh, come on, Richard. She was just fooling around."

"Either you cuff her, or I will."

"I think I'd prefer Chris cuffing me," I piped up happily. I felt his chest rumble as he laughed quietly. "You're good looking and all, Rich, but I'm not really into screwing around with family."

Richard shook his head. "You're unbelievable. When you're parents said you've changed, I really didn't believe them."

I shrugged. "Shit happens." I shifted to look up at the second cop. "So, you going to use those cuffs, or should I show you how?" A moment later, someone's hand gently smacked the back of my head. "What?" I asked, looking at my cousin.

"What the hell are you doing hitting on my friend?" Richard asked.

"Can you blame me? Look at him," I replied, flashing Chris a flirtatious smile. His lips pulled up even more as he rolled his eyes.

"Let her go," Richard sighed, running a hand down his face. "I can't deal with her right now."

I stepped away and looked back at Chris. "Really, though. One night with me and those handcuffs and you'll be tired for a week."

"Cassie!" Richard yelled, frustrated.

"Okay! Okay, I'm done," I said, putting my hands up in front of me. "I'm done."

"Who's in the car with you?" Richard asked.

"Just a few guys from school."

"Guys?" he repeated.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? The Sons of Ipswich had kidnapped me at the party and thrown me into the Hummer right before you guys showed up. They were planning a gang rape."

"Whoa!" Tyler yelled, throwing open the back door and climbing out. "You jumped in the car with us!"

"No, really, she did!" Pogue added, jumping out as well. Reid was leaning over to look out the driver's side window and Caleb had slid toward the open door.

"Okay, maybe not a gang rape. But you did tell me that you'd make me scream each of your names."

"What!" Richard bellowed, rounding on the Hummer and boys, who all went slack jawed.

"Kidding!" I laughed, receiving a glare from each Son as well as my cousin. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it."

Richard turned back to the boys and Chris stepped up next to him, both taking on a big-brotherish attitude. I couldn't help but laugh a little as I looked around. And then an idea popped into my head. I cocked my head to the side, debating. To do or not to do. To piss him off even more or not to. Hmm....

I returned my gaze to the Hummer and I began slowly walking backwards. My lips pulled up in a grin as I trailed my hand across the hood of the car. I've never driven a cop car before. The boys were too distracted to notice me, or so I thought. Reid looked over and caught me. I waited for him to shout something, but he simply raised an eyebrow. _Wait fifteen minutes_, I mouthed, counting the number on my hands for emphasis. To my surprise, he gave me a tiny nod. When my hand touched the handle, I took a deep breath and yanked the door open.

"Cassandra!"

The engine was still running, so all I had to do was put it in reverse and step on the gas. When I was turned enough, I changed gears to drive and then sped off, the sirens wailing and lights flashing. A few minutes later, I caught more flashing lights behind me. Grinning like there was no tomorrow, I whipped around a few trees trying to lose my pursuers. A good ten minutes later, I slammed on the brake and the car came to a sudden stop. I jumped out and began running back in the direction I came. The second cop car skidded to a stop just after passing me, and I heard the doors open.

"Cassandra!" Richard yelled.

"Sorry, gotta go!" I yelled back, not stopping. "Don't worry, the car's fine! Thanks for the joy ride!" I had really only zig zagged around, so it took only five minutes to get back to the Hummer. When I yanked the door open, the Sons jumped in surprise. "Chill guys, it's just me." I grinned as I climbed in, making Pogue push over. Tyler had reclaimed the driver's seat. "Alright. Let's get outta here before my cousin comes back." All four boys just sat staring at me. "What?"

No one seemed to have an answer, so Tyler stepped on the gas.


	8. Chapter 8

Somehow, by Monday morning, it seemed like everyone at Spencer had heard about my tiff with the two cops, and of my little joyride. Not that I minded. What I _did_ mind was that everyone also knew that I had been with Reid Garwin and his friends, before and after the cops. And it seemed that the rumor mill had been working overtime on Sunday. Apparently, I was trying to get Caleb and Pogue to break up with their girlfriends so we could all have a five-some. Oh, and I guess I was also doing the Eiffel Tower with Reid and Tyler. Interesting, huh? I certainly thought so. Now everyone knew that I was no longer the quiet girl of Spencer Academy, what with the rumors and my nonstop flirting at the party. Not that I cared. They were bound to find out sooner or later, right?

So as I walked to class Monday morning, the whispers followed me. I just held my head up, smiled, and ignored them. It was actually amusing. As I entered the classroom, I saw Brian and grinned. I slipped into the seat beside him, stretching one leg out and brushing it against his, loving how his attention went right to me. His eyes dropped to my skirt and traveled the length of my bare leg, which was still against his, before returning to my face. I smiled. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself," he said, returning the smile. "I've heard a few things about you recently."

"Oh, really?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. "Such as?"

"That you're a rather... friendly person."

"Not all rumors are true," I said. When he simply raised an eyebrow at me, I laughed. "Would you like to find out first-hand if what you heard is true?"

He gave me a slow, lopsided grin. "Maybe."

"Time and place," I said, my voice seductively quiet and my eyes locked with his. I watched his eyes as that certain sparkle took over and he leaned in slightly, his eyes dropping to my lips.

"After school, my dorm."

I inclined my head a little. "Works for me." There was a slight lull in the buzz on conversations in the classroom, and I glanced up curiously. The Sons of Ipswich had just walked in. All eyes went to the door, then drifted to me. Each boy's eyes found mine, and I knew they'd also heard the rumors. Two girls were with them, one blond and one dark skinned. Their eyes narrowed the tiniest bit when they saw me. Yup. Caleb's and Pogue's girlfriends had been listening to the rumor mill as well. Greaaat.

Caleb and Pogue shifted uncomfortably before walking over and sliding into their seats, their girlfriends following and claiming the seats right beside their respective man. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Tyler and gave me a slight nod and an embarrassed little smile before heading up the stairs to his seat. From what I remembered, he had always been a little shy, and he'd most likely heard about what he supposedly did with Reid and me. My lips twitched in amusement.

And then there was Reid. I expected him to smirk and waltz into the room, head held high, the whispers and rumors filling his ego to maximum level. But like Saturday night, he surprised me. Instead of acting like he was king, he just walked straight to his seat and dropped down into the chair, ignoring his peers. Turning my head slightly, I watched him from the corner of my eye. He pulled out his books and then just slumped back in his seat, talking quietly to Tyler. His eyes flickered to me, as if knowing I was watching. Two years ago, I would have turned away quickly and ducked my head, trying to hide a blush. But no one and nothing had been able to make me blush in over a year. Instead, I turned to fully look at him, holding his gaze.

People around us began talking quietly. The whispers and quiet talking was how it had been the day after Reid had won the bet. I felt a pang of anger and knew that my gaze must have hardened. But I didn't look away. It had turned into a silent staring match, and it didn't look like either of us was about to lose the competition. The low murmurs died off, signaling that the teacher had arrived. But still we stared at each other.

"Mr. Garwin, Ms. Brown. Is there a problem?"

I clenched my teeth. _Make him look away first_, I told myself. _Make him forfeit_.

"Ms. Brown?" the teacher asked, a note of annoyance lacing his voice. "Mr. Garwin?" he said when I didn't reply.

Reid inhaled and his lips pressed together, and then he turned to the teacher. "No, sir. There's no problem."

I turned as well and smiled when the teacher looked at me for confirmation. "Reid's right. There's no problem." Feeling satisfied, I settled back in my chair and waited for the lesson to begin.

* * * * * * *

I climbed from the tangle of sheets and began searching for my clothes that had been scattered around the room. The other person in the bed mumbled something, and I chuckled. "What was that?"

"The rumors really don't do you justice," Brian repeated, flashing me a grin when I looked over my shoulder at him.

I grinned back. "That's because not many people here have had the privilege of being with me."

He cocked an eyebrow, his lips still pulled up. "Privilege?"

"Yes. I don't screw around with every guy I meet," I said as I pulled on my thong and skirt. "Just the special ones."

"I'm special?" he asked, inching closer to the edge of the bed.

"I let you bring me to bed, didn't I?" Fixing my bra in place, I scanned the room, spying my shirt near the door.

I heard the bed springs squeak as Brian moved, and a minute later he was wrapping his arms around my waist. "If I remember correctly, you were the one pushing me on the bed and then climbing on top of me."

I chuckled, turning to look up at him while trailing my fingers down his bare chest. "I didn't hear you complaining."

He gave me that cute, lopsided grin. "I had no complaints." He sucked in air when my fingers reached his manhood and wrapped around him. His eyes slid closed and I stepped closer, pressing my lips against his chest while stroking his returned erection. Every few seconds, I'd trace little lines along his member with my nails and he'd quiver.

And then I stepped back. I heard his groan at the loss of my touch and I looked up at him, smiling. "Well, see you around."

"You're going to leave me like this?" he whined.

"Take a cold shower, you'll be fine," I laughed, seizing the shirt and pulling it over my head. "Bye!" As soon as the door closed behind me, I turned and started down the hall. The boys that were walking through the hall watched me pass, and I knew they were probably piecing together what had happened between me and Brian, especially since my hair was probably a mess. Oh well. Someone whistled, and I glanced over to see two boys grinning at me. I chuckled and turned my attention away from them, only to collide with a hard body.


	9. Chapter 9

I stumbled back a little and looked up to see who I'd bumped in to, or who had bumped in to me. I recognized him instantly. Hot anger flared up inside me, and my eyes narrowed into a glare. From the smug look on his face, I'm guessing he had purposefully stepped into my path. I stepped back and raised my chin slightly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Well, if it isn't little Cassie Brown," Aaron Abbott said, smirking down at me.

"Did you want something? Or do you just enjoy walking into people?" I asked irritably.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "In case you didn't notice, you're in the boys' wing. Last I checked I was allowed to walk around here."

I rolled my eyes.

"A better question would be, what are _you_ doing here?" he said, glancing around. "As far as I know, girls only come up here for one reason."

I raised my eyebrows in mock surprise. "Girls actually come see you for that reason? Wow, they must be really desperate if they're knocking on your door." His face scrunched up in a scowl, and I laughed. "I hope that's not your sex face, 'cause if so, I feel sorry for any girl who climbs into bed with you."

His eyes narrowed slightly and he glanced around, his gaze landing on something behind me. What was behind me again? Brian's door? Was Aaron smart enough to figure that out? I watched his eyes move back to me and take in my appearance, lingering on my hair, and then a slow grin lifted his lips. Yep, he was smart enough. I'm surprised.

"I guess that bet did you some good after all." My anger became hotter and I clenched my jaw. Apparently, he found this very entertaining. "Maybe tomorrow night you can come by my dorm. After, me and Brian can compare our thoughts on your... performances." My anger spiked to burning rage, and he flashed me a knowing grin. Oh, he was enjoying this, the bastard. "From the rumors I've heard, I _bet_ you're quite the little pleaser."

I snapped.

My fist slammed into the side of his face, my knuckles digging into his skin. Just like I'd been taught, I put all my weight into the punch, and as a result, Aaron crashed to the floor, holding his head. The hallway fell silent as Aaron stared up at me, completely shocked. A tiny drop of blood was trickling from his nose, showing that I'd not only hit his cheek, but gotten part of his nose as well. I glared down at him, my hands balled into fists at my sides. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time," I said. And then I stalked past him to the stairs, ignoring the eyes of the other boys.

As I walked, I started thinking. Now, that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, because I would probably get into a load of trouble for it. But it had honestly made me feel better. I couldn't help but smile as I made my way to my own dorm, unlocked the door, and walk in.

"What are you smiling about?" Rebecca asked, eying me from her spot on her bed.

My smile grew and I shrugged. "I, uh, had a good after-school session with a classmate."

She raised an eyebrow. "Boy or girl?" she asked slowly.

"What do you think?" I replied, grabbing a change of clothes and heading for the dorm's small bathroom.

There was a loud bang on the dorm door, followed by another and another. Rebecca jumped up and went to open it. "Kira?"

"Where the hell is she?" Kira screeched, storming into the dorm.

"Who?" Rebecca asked.

"Your fucking slutty roommate!"

I walked out of the bathroom, now wearing comfy clothes, and looked calmly at the pissed off redhead. "What do you want?"

She stomped over to me, stopping only when she was about five inches from me. Oooh, she was trying to be intimidating. "You better go apologize to my boyfriend."

I raised an eyebrow. "Your boyfriend?"

"Yes," she hissed. "Aaron."

"You're dating Aaron Abbott?" I laughed. "Oh, I feel bad for you."

"You have ten seconds to march your ass to his dorm and apologize for what you did," she threatened. "And you will also help clean him up."

"And you have ten seconds to get the fuck away from me before I give you a bruise to match your boyfriend's," I said, my voice even.

"Psh." She raised her chin and glared at me.

"Five seconds left," I informed her. "Do you really think that I won't hit you? 'Cause that's what your boyfriend thought, and now look at him." Doubt trickled into her eyes, and a moment later she took one step back. I smiled at her. "Good. Now get out of my dorm. And no, I'm not apologizing."

Her face reddened. "You'll regret this," she sneered before leaving in an angry huff.

As soon as the door slammed behind her, Rebecca rounded on me. "You hit Aaron?"

I shrugged. "He pissed me off."

She let out a long whistle. "Damn. You better be careful."

"What, you actually believe Kira's threat?" I asked with a little laugh.

"Don't underestimate her."

"She can't do anything."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, if I were you. She can make your life hell if she really wants."

I felt my smile slip away. "Sophomore year was my hell. There's nothing she can do to top that."

Rebecca looked away, but not before I caught the sympathetic gleam in her eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

Wow, I had been at Spencer for less than two weeks, and the gossip about me was flying. The next day, it seemed everyone had heard about the fight with Aaron, and even that I had spent a couple hours with Brian. Throughout the day, I'd sit in my classes, waiting to be called to the headmaster's office. Aaron had been in my second period class, and as soon as I saw him I began laughing. His cheek was swollen and decorated with red, black and blue. He glared at me and I just smiled. But by the time lunch came around and I hadn't received a summons to the office, I began to doubt that I would.

After paying for my food, I left the lunch line and started walking toward an empty table. Something caught my ankle, and I stumbled and fell forward. I released the tray of food so I could use my hands to catch myself, and really only succeeded in landing hard on the floor, the tray of food under me and my messenger bag thrown onto the floor, a few books spilling out. Damn it, why had I decided to get a sloppy Joe? Groaning, I lifted myself and glanced down to see the meaty sandwich now smeared all over the front of my shirt.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry." My eyes narrowed at that sickly sweet voice. Grinding my teeth, I turned to glare up at her. "Sometimes my feet just have a mind of their own," Kira said, flashing me an _apologetic_ smile.

Breathing deeply, I pushed myself to my feet just as another of the bitch's friends hurried over, followed by Aaron and his friends. My fingers curled into a fist, and without thinking, I lifted my arm back and then forward, ready to smash her pretty face. Her eyes widened and she flinched, but before my fist could connect with her head, a black fingerless gloved hand snatched my wrist and pulled it down. I rounded on whoever had dared to get in my way and instantly felt like the wind had been knocked out of me.

Reid looked down at me, his bright blue eyes silently telling me what I already knew. Hitting her was a bad idea. I wanted to yank my arm from his grasp, shove him away, and return to beating the redhead. But I couldn't. The feeling of his hand on my skin stirred the memory of that day in his dorm. Of the pleasure his hands and mouth had given me. My skin began tingling as heat spread from the wrist he was holding through my arm, engulfing my entire body. And something inside me didn't want to lose his touch. His eyes shifted to Kira, and the spell was broken. I yanked my arm away, but that was it.

"I think you owe her an apology, Kira," Reid stated calmly.

"Apology?" Kira sneered, knowing it was safe to go back to bitch mode.

"I think you should be the one apologizing first, Garwin," Aaron said. "All Kira did was accidentally trip her. You're the one who fucked her to win a bet."

I threw my hands into the air in aggravation. "Forget it!" Bending down, I scooped up the tray. "This is pointless." And then I walked away, dropping the tray on the top of a trashcan before leaving the cafeteria and heading back to my dorm to change. The Kira incident was already out of my mind. All I could think about was Reid's hand on my wrist.

What the hell was that about anyway? I should have shoved him away, and even thrown a punch at _him_! Not stand there like a little girl and let him guide me away from a fight. He had no right to even step into the middle like he did! Oh, my hand itched to give that blond prick a bruise to match Aaron's. They should both be walking around with swollen, black and blue faces as proof of what they did sophomore year.

Oh, jeez, I was ranting. Damn it. Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes and released the air, and then repeated until I felt myself relax. I stripped out of the messy shirt, then pulled on another and tossed it into the hamper in the bathroom. After checking my face to make sure there wasn't any meat sauce, I left the dorm and headed back to the cafeteria. Because both Kira and Reid had pissed me off, I'd forgotten to grab my things. Just before I reached the door, it was pushed over and the Sons of Ipswich walked out.

Reid stopped when he saw me, and then raised his hand, which was clutching my bag. "Coming back for this?" he asked. His voice was a little deeper than I remembered it, and it rumbled through me just as it would if he were speaking with his lips on my skin.

"Uh... yeah." I grabbed it, ignoring the sudden tingling along my skin when our fingers brushed each other's, and slung it over my shoulder, glancing around awkwardly. "You shouldn't have gotten in the middle of the fight."

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. 'Cause you getting in to trouble for hitting two students within twenty-four hours would have done you wonders."

"Why do you even care?" I snapped, my eyes narrowing at him. "What I do is none of your concern."

He frowned, and I hated to admit that it was a little cute. "I was just trying to help."

"Why?" I asked sharply. "Why the fuck do you care?"

"I... you haven't even been here a month. You shouldn't be getting into fights."

I laughed. "So now _you're_ telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"I _bet_ you're smart enough to figure it out," I answered. His frown disappeared and was replaced by understanding. Before he could say anything, I turned on my heel and walked quickly away from the four boys, heading to my next class.


	11. Chapter 11

By the end of the day, I was still fuming. I stormed into the dorm and slammed the door, threw my things on the floor, and let out a screech. I wanted to go _home_! Back to Vermont and away from these fucking snobby, rich bitches! And all the rumors about me and Reid and the other sons were suddenly pissing me off. I pulled out my phone and punched in a number and pressed it to my ear, my lips pulling together in a tight line.

After three rings, she answered. "Alright, rant away," Clarissa said, giving an exaggerated sigh.

And I did. For a good half an hour, I simply went on and on about everything that had happened since I arrived, spending more time on that day's fight. "Who the fuck does he think he is?" I asked heatedly, not expecting a response. "I can't believe he even had the balls to scold me! Oh, and the gossip train never seems to stop in this school! It's like these people have nothing better to do than listen and talk about other people! I swear, I'm going to go insane!"

"I think you already have," Clarissa commented with a little laugh.

"Don't start with me," I snapped, and then immediately felt guilty. "Sorry. I'm just wicked stressed."

"I can tell. I'm thinking you need a break from all that."

The corners of my mouth lifted up slightly. "And what did you have in mind?"

"You'll see."

"What are you planning?" I asked slowly.

"You'll see," she repeated, and I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Please tell me?"

"Nope, it's a surprise!" Clarissa laughed. "But I gotta go."

"Alright, bye." We hung up and I sighed. I felt much better after ranting. And Clarissa was amazing for letting me do it. Now all I had to do was figure out what she was planning....

By the time Friday morning came, I still hadn't figured out what my best friend was planning. I had even tried seducing it out of Derek, which didn't do me much good, especially since it was over the phone. He had said the same thing Clarissa had: you'll see. It was actually a little annoying. Brian and I flirted quite a bit in our classes, but it wasn't enough to distract me from my curiosity. I even turned him down for another session in his dorm, and that was saying something! 'Cause I hardly ever turned down a good time.

So when _Summer Nights_ began playing from my phone, I eagerly flipped the cell open and pressed it to my ear with only a brief glance at the caller ID. "Are you going to tell me yet?"

Clarissa laughed. "Eager, much?"

"Yes! Now tell me!" I said with a smile. Rebecca gave me a curious look, which I shook my head at, signaling that it was nothing. She shrugged and went back to pulling on her uniform. "Please?" I added, drawing the word out like a five-year-old might.

Clarissa laughed again. "You'll see."

"Ugh! Why won't you just tell me?"

"Because it's fun making you wait."

"You're such a bitch," I said.

"Only sometimes," she replied happily. "But I gotta go. Bye!"

"Bye," I said, defeated. With a sigh, hung up.

"What's up?" Rebecca asked.

I shrugged. "Nothing. My friend won't tell me what she's planning. But I'll see you later." I slung my bag's strap over my shoulder and left the dorm and made my way to the cafeteria for breakfast. Kira hadn't tried anything again, but I still kept my eyes open and scanning the hallways when I walked. I did _not_ need a repeat of the fight. The day dragged by slowly, and by the time the final bell rang, I was fully ready to get out of Spencer. Didn't matter where, just out. Away from all the damn gossip and drama. As I pushed my way through the crowd of students in the halls, someone grabbed my arm and spun me around.

"Shoving people out of the way is rude," Reid stated casually, releasing my arm.

"What are you, Hallway Patrol?" I asked, hitching my bag into a more comfortable position on my shoulder.

He grinned. "What if I was?"

"Then I still wouldn't listen to you," I answered, giving him a small smile. His eyes trailed the length of me, lingering on my shortened skirt. I snapped my fingers and he pulled his gaze back up to mine. "My face is up here."

He gave me a slow, lazy smile. One that was the wickedest smile I'd ever seen. "My bad." Oh, wow, that smile was... sexy.

I bit my bottom lip to distract my suddenly creative mind. "Yeah, your bad." He's an ass. He humiliated me. He's an ass. I had to mentally repeated those two thoughts again and again to remind myself that he was waaaaay off limits. That I should _not_ be thinking about that. Days ago I had wanted to punch him, right? So why the hell was I suddenly having dirty thoughts about him? I blinked and quickly studied him: silky blond hair; pure blue eyes that seemed to glow; almost angelic skin; soft, tender lips. And then the school uniform. He had shed the blazer, and the white button up shirt hugged his upper body perfectly, hinting at the lean muscles underneath. And the black pants hung perfectly on his hips. If I had to guess, I would say the back view would be great.

Stop, stop, _stop_! I mentally shouted. It was way past time to leave. "Well, I have to go." I turned and faded into the crowd, a little disappointed when he didn't grab me again, and then I mentally chastised myself for that thought. Wow, I needed help. Having dirty thoughts about the guy who had used me to win a bet was not a good thing.

I walked out the doors and was instantly cocooned in a familiar classic rock beat radiating from the parking lot. Slowly, I followed the music and felt my eyebrows rise. "No way," I said quietly when my eyes found the red jacked up Toyota truck that was blaring ACDC from its kick-ass sound system. Students were standing around, not very close though, staring at the mud spattered truck like it was from a different planet. I grinned, and when the doors flew open and two people jumped out, I squealed and ran to them. "Clarissa! Derek!"


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: sooo sorry i haven't updated sooner....**

Derek caught me first, wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me up to spin me around. When he set me down, I lunged into the arms of my best friend, who was laughing. I stepped back and looked from one to the other. "So this is the surprise?"

Derek grinned. "Yep."

"I can't believe you guys drove all the way down here!" I said happily.

Clarissa shrugged nonchalantly. "We figured you could use a little distraction from all the drama."

"You're damn right," I sighed. "And I don't even have anything to hit for stress-relief!"

Derek leaned back into the truck and pulled out a little baggie filled with a dried plant. "You mean this?"

"Derek, you're amazing," I laughed.

"Yeah, I know." He tossed the baggie back into the truck and looked around. "So this is Spencer Academy, huh?"

"Yep," I said unenthusiastically. "Also known as hell."

Clarissa was watching a small group of girls walk past, their hips swinging and heads high. "Wow, these people really are snobs." The girls shot her glares, and she simply flipped them off.

I laughed a little. "Told ya."

"So are you going to give us a tour?" Derek asked.

I sighed. "Guess so. But a quick one, 'cause I'm ready for a hit."

Half an hour later, we were pulling out of the parking lot. I gave them a quick tour of Ipswich, which wasn't that hard seeing how small the town was. And then I had Derek drive over to an old dirt road. Honestly, I was amazed I remembered how to get to it. I'd only gone there a few times throughout my freshman and sophomore years. It was a nice spot, peaceful and relaxing, and as far as I knew no one went there. The truck pulled to a stop and I climbed out, feeling a twinge of disappointment as I looked at the burnt remains. The once huge, seemingly sturdy barn was now a pile of rubble and ash.

"What is this?" Derek asked.

"It was Putnam Barn," I replied, walking toward the remains. "I found it one day freshman year when I was just walking around. I was pretty sure no one ever came here, but...."

"Apparently someone came, and decided to have a little fire," Derek said.

I nodded. "Guess so." Derek plopped down on a semi-burnt piece of wood, probably from the rafters, and pulled out the little baggie and a pipe. He immediately began packing the pipe, so Clarissa and I settled on the ground in front of him.

"So are you coming back up for the New Year's party?" Clarissa asked.

"Well duh," I laughed. "Do you really think I'd miss that?"

She shrugged, but smiled. "I didn't think so, but I'm just making sure. Remember last year's?"

"You mean when Rob decided to throw a punch at Derek?" I asked, smiling.

Derek snorted. "Fucking idiot."

That made me laugh. "Yeah. I can't believe he even _thought_ he could take on Derek."

"He had way too much beer in him that night," Clarissa agreed.

Derek pulled out a lighter and took a hit, then passed it to me. I pressed the end of the pipe to my lips and lit it, inhaling deeply. The smoke curled into my lungs, and I closed my eyes at the familiar stinging. I passed it to Clarissa and held the smoke in until I felt the burn, and then exhaled slowly. The tension I had been feeling since arriving was already fading. As we passed the pipe around our little circle, Derek refilling it when need be, we talked and joked about the preps I had to deal with, especially Kira.

"I totally would have hit her," Clarissa laughed as she accepted the pipe.

"I tried!" I said, grinning. "But that damn prick got in my way."

"I would have hit them both," Clarissa shrugged.

I laughed and shook my head. "Guys, I can't even begin to explain how happy I am that you drove all the way here, just for me."

"You're lucky we love you so much," Derek chuckled.

I grinned. "I know."

Dirt and gravel crunched as tires rolled over the path. Instantly, we were on alert, listening as the vehicle came closer. Derek seized the pipe and lighter, and stuffed them into his jeans pocket, along with the baggie. Car doors opened and slammed, and then we heard hushed voices.

"I thought you said no one comes here?" he hissed.

"I didn't think anyone did!" I said. Four figures emerged from the trees, deep in quiet conversation, and I let out a sigh of relief. "It's okay. We're not busted."

"You know them?" Clarissa asked, eying the shorter brunette with interest.

"Don't even go there, Riss," I said. "Trust me."

She frowned and glanced at me. "Why not?"

"Take another look."

She looked back at the boys, who clearly hadn't noticed us; I watched her eyes travel over each, lingering on the one on the far right. Her frown deepened, and then her jaw dropped. Her gaze snapped back to mine. "Is that him?"

"Him?" Derek repeated.

"Yep," I said.

"Daaaamn," she breathed. "And for all of them, hot damn."

I snorted a laugh. "Oh, please."

The little noise must have caught their attention, because all four heads snapped up to look in our direction. The boys froze, looking guilty, and nervously glanced at one another. Well, that's odd. But then they seemed to relax slightly when they saw me. Even more odd.

"What are you doing here?" Reid asked, his gaze moving over me, then Clarissa, then Derek, and back to me.

"Hanging out. Is that a crime?" I replied casually.

"You tell us if that's a crime, seeing as how you're so close with the police," Pogue said

Clarissa shot me a glare. "I told you to stay out of trouble down here. We don't need more cops knowing your name."

"It wasn't my fault!" I said quickly, almost out of habit.

"You're the one who yanked me out of the driver's seat, hijacked the Hummer and made the cops chase us," Tyler put in with a small smile.

"Cassie!" Clarissa scolded as Derek began laughing. "Derek, shut up!"

"Clarissa, really, it's not my fault those two cops knew me!" I said, shooting a glare at Tyler. "No one warned me that Richard was a cop."

"Richard? Since when is your cousin a cop?" Clarissa asked.

I shrugged. "No idea. But when I saw him stepping out of the cop car, I couldn't help it! And you would have been all for making him chase us, you know it."

Clarissa pursed her lips. "Okay, okay. You're right."

"Damn Cass, can you go anywhere without having a local cop know who you are?" Derek said, shaking his head.

I grinned. "Jealous?"

"Oh yes, 'cause I really wanna be on a first name basis with the people who can arrest me."

I snorted. "You won't be complaining if we get busted on New Years. Since I am so close with the cops, I'll be able to talk us out of trouble. And you know I can," I added when Derek opened his mouth. He closed it and shrugged, silently agreeing.

"What's going on on New Years?" Caleb asked, frowning.

"Wow, since when are you boys so interested in my life? What happened to the wonderful year that you ignored me?"

"What happened to the wonderful year where you weren't so damn sarcastic?" Pogue shot back.

I grinned at him. "I've always been sarcastic, I've just lost my ability to keep my thoughts to myself."

Clarissa nodded. "She really has. Sometimes I miss her quiet days."

"Fuck you," I laughed.

"Time and place, baby," she giggled, winking at me.

I winked back. "Here and now."

She leaned toward me at the same time I leaned in to her. Our lips barely brushed against each others before Caleb's voice rang out.

"What are you doing!"

Derek chuckled as we leaned away from each other. "Damn, dude. Way to ruin the show."

I patted Derek's cheek. "Don't worry. We'll do it again, and next time you can join."

"We're still here!" Tyler said loudly.

Clarissa giggled again. "Sorry, did you want to join us?" Tyler's cheeks flushed, and she laughed.

"If you boys are so uncomfortable with seeing us, then maybe you should leave," I stated, looking pointedly at the blond boy.

Reid raised his chin slightly. "I was actually enjoying the show."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "Figures."

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I sighed, pushing myself up to stand. "Well, this has been, uh, fun. But I'm getting hungry."

"You're always hungry after," Derek grinned, standing as well.

"After what?" Pogue asked.

"Wow, you four are just so nosey," I said as I helped Clarissa up. "Alright, let's get outta here. You guys still have to meet my roommate." I walked past the four boys toward Derek's truck, my two friends following closely. As I climbed up into the truck, I could feel four pairs of eyes on my back.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: hey guys! sooo sorry this is such a late update! my classes have resumed and now i have hw :( i'll try to update soon, i promise! enjoy!!**

Derek, Clarissa and I hung out at my for the rest of the night. Clarissa really hit it off with my roommate, which I was somewhat glad about. Around eight, Rebecca left for _Nicky's_, giving us the room to ourselves. I had brought a mini collection of my favorite movies when I moved back here, so we watched a couple of those after changing into night clothes. And we somehow managed to fit all three of us, comfortably, on my twin-sized bed, and that was how we fell asleep.

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!_

I groaned and tried to roll over, but found myself pinned in place. With an annoyed huff, I cracked open my eyes and glanced around, realizing that the thing pinning me down was actually the bodies of my two best friends, who were stirring awake.

_BANG! BANG!_

Struggling to pull myself out from under them, I finally crawled over them, letting out a quiet string of swears as I slid off the bed and groggily padded to the door. "This had better be fucking important!" I hollered to whoever I was about to come face to face with as I whipped open the door. I stopped and frowned. "Wha–?"

And then I was yanked out of the room and shoved against the wall, my back to the two cops. I turned my head and caught the curious looks from the other students as they stuck their heads out into the hall to see what was going on.

"Cassandra Brown, you are under arrest for stealing and then abandoning a police car in the woods after a party at the dells," Richard said as he pulled my hands behind my back and cuffed my wrists.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" I protested, trying to shove him away.

He turned me around, grabbed my upper arm, and began dragging me toward the stairs. Chris walked on my other side, ready to assist if I tried to fight or run. I shot him a glare, and I swear his lips twitched as he fought a smirk. Someone behind us snickered and then was laughing, and when I looked back I saw Clarissa doubled over in my dorm doorway, her entire body shaking as she laughed. Derek stood beside her smirking at me. I had only enough time to glare at them before Richard tugged me down the stairs.

My cousin and his friend marched me outside, showing me (in my black boy shorts and purple tank top, barefoot) off to everyone who was awake, and loaded me into the back of a cop car. I looked out the window and saw, a short distance away, Tyler Sims staring at the car.

As soon as Richard and Chris had climbed in and shut their doors, I exploded. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I yelled angrily. My eyes found the car's little digital clock and I felt my eyes widen. "It's fucking nine fifteen in the morning!"

Richard started the engine and pulled away from the curb before answering. "You need to learn a lesson."

"Bullshit. This is just your way of getting even with me for making you two look like idiots," I snapped.

Both of them chuckled, but didn't deny my accusation.

"I hate you," I growled.

He glanced in the rearview mirror and grinned back at me. "Just wait."

Four hours and twenty minutes later, I could safely say that I absolutely hated my cousin with no regret. As soon as we'd arrived at the police station, he'd dragged me out of the car and then locked me in one of the temporary jail cells. And then left me there, seemingly bored out of my mind. By the time he released me, my stomach was grumbling very loudly.

"In a better mood?" he asked cheerfully.

"Go to hell," I replied curtly, making him laugh. "Can you take me back to school now?"

He turned and started walking toward the exit. "Nope."

"What?" I asked disbelievingly.

"I have paperwork to do."

"Then how the hell am I getting back?" I hurried to catch up to him. "Chris?

"Hell no."

"Another one of your cop buddies?"

"Nope." He pushed open the door and walked outside, with me following.

"You better not be expecting me to walk," I said, and he sighed.

"Cassie."

I winced, suddenly embarrassed, and looked over in the direction the female voice had come from. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her hands rested on her hips, and her green eyes were full of both exasperation and amusement. "Hi, Aunt Karen."

She shook her head before walking over and pulling me into a hug. "Oh, Cassie, what are we going to do with you?" she laughed as she stepped back.

"He's the one who dragged me out of my room to arrest me!" I said, pointing an accusing finger at my cousin.

"Did you steal a cop car?" she asked, raising a knowing eyebrow.

"No, I didn't steal it," I huffed. "I borrowed it."

Her lips twitched in amusement, and she shook her head again. "Fine. No more _borrowing_ cop car, got it?" She waited until I nodded my agreement before turning to Richard. "And you. I don't want you arresting your cousin because she embarrassed you, got it?"

"Mom," Richard began, but stopped when Karen held up her hand. "Fine. I'll wait until she really breaks the law."

"Until?" I repeated.

"We all know it's gonna happen," Richard said, shrugging.

I rolled my eyes and looked at my aunt. "So you're taking me back to Spencer?"

She nodded. "Let's go."

The ride to the school wasn't awkward like I was expecting. Karen and I laughed and joked, and thankfully she didn't bring up the reason I was sent back here. When she pulled up in front of the dorms, I thanked her for the ride and climbed out, ignoring the astonished looks from my peers. They probably figured I'd be gone at least for the rest of the day, thanks to Richard and Chris's performance this morning. I hurried up to my dorm, eager to change out of my night clothes. As soon as I opened the door, I glared at my two friends and roommate. "Thanks for all the help, guys!"

"You should have seen your face," Clarissa grinned. "Total Kodak moment."

"Shut up," I snapped, slamming the door and storming over to my dresser.

"Oh, relax. We knew you weren't really in trouble," Clarissa sighed, waving her hand as if to dismiss my anger.

"We did?" Rebecca frowned.

"Well duh. Her cousin wouldn't actually arrest her."

"No, instead he fake-arrested me, pranced me around, handcuffed, for the student body to see, and then locked me in a jail cell for four hours!" I fumed, slamming the dresser drawer shut a little harder than necessary.

"Damn," Derek mumbled. "Remind me not to piss off your cousin."

I rolled my eyes and headed for the showers.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: hi everyone! i am soo sorry for the late update, i got caught up in classes. hopefully i'll be updating sooner now! enjoy!**

After showering, I wrapped my hair in a towel and wrapped another towel around my body, grabbed my night clothes, and headed back to my room. When I walked in I saw Derek, his eyes closed, sprawled on my bed in the otherwise empty dorm. "Where'd Riss and Rebecca go?"

"Clarissa wanted food and your roommate offered to show her where the cafeteria is," he answered, opening his eyes halfway to look at me.

"Well that's nice of her," I commented. I tossed the clothes on my bed beside him and went into the small bathroom.

"Are you okay here?" Derek asked.

I glanced back at him as I took the towel off my head and grabbed my comb. "What?"

"Are you okay here?" he repeated, sitting up. His eyes watched me intently, and I knew he was being serious.

I shrugged and began combing the snarls out of my hair. "Yeah, sure."

"Don't lie," he said.

I huffed. "I'm not. I'm fine, really."

"Cass." From the corner of my eye I saw him climb off the bed and fold his arms. "We've known each other for a good ten years, and I know the difference between you being fine and you not being fine."

"You're full of shit," I said, forcing a chuckle. But I couldn't look him in the eyes because deep down, I knew he was right. If I was honest with myself, I hadn't been fine since I'd been sent back here.

"Look at me."

I cast a quick glance in his direction and then yanked the comb through my hair one last time and tossed it in my hair-care basket on the back of the toilet. I didn't need to see him to know he was walking toward me. His hand grasped my upper arm and turned me to face him while his other hand gently grabbed my chin and forced me to look up into his eyes. And as soon as my eyes met his loyal green eyes, I could feel my walls beginning to crumble.

"Tell me the truth," he said quietly, his gaze never wavering from mine.

I hated when he did this. How he could get me to spill whatever he wanted to know with one intense look. It was how he had gotten me to tell him what had happened between me and Reid. He'd known as soon as he'd seen me that something had happened; that I had changed. And before we did anything together, he had wanted to know what it was. After I had told him, he became the second guy I'd ever had sex with.

"Cass." He released my chin and ran his hands down my arms. "Just tell me." When I shook my head, he sighed. "You don't have to handle everything by yourself. I'm here for you."

Everything that had happened since I'd returned to Spencer Academy flashed through my mind and I clenched my teeth together and pulled my gaze away from him, swallowing past a sudden lump in my throat. "No."

"No?" he repeated.

I pushed past him and walked toward the bed, crossing my arms over the towel and looking at the floor. "No. I'm not okay. There. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

He stayed quiet. I could feel him watching me, but I didn't turn around.

"I told myself I would never come back here," I said. "But here I am, back in this hellhole. And the only person I can blame is me, because I screwed up, and I know it." Still he didn't say anything. "I _hate_ it here. Did I tell you that I have a nickname? Before everything happened, I was called the Quiet Girl. I didn't really mind that. I'd always been the quiet girl, you know that. But ever since _that day_. . . . I have a new nickname. The Bet Girl. Thanks to Reid and Aaron and all the fucking snobs in this place. In Vermont, I could push that memory into the back of my mind; it would feel like a faint dream. But here, I can't do that. I can't forget it when I'm in this school. And that's all I want to do."

I felt Derek behind me before he turned me to face him. He gently wiped away tears I hadn't known had fallen and kissed my forehead.

I leaned in and rubbed my forehead against his chest, letting my hands drop down and then slid up under his shirt, across his toned stomach. "I just want to forget," I said, peering up into his eyes as I trailed my nails back down his front.

"Cassie," he breathed, catching my wrists to stop me.

"Please. Help me forget," I crooned, and then tilted my head up and pressed my lips against his neck. "Please," I said again, stepping closer. He released my wrists and his hands dropped to my towel-clad hips as his head tipped back, his eyes sliding closed. "Come on, Derek," I said, my voice soft as a breeze. "It feels life forever since we've been together."

I could feel him holding back. He had done the same thing the first time I'd tried to have sex with him. I tiled my head up and took his mouth in a heated kiss. When he gave in just a little, I grabbed his belt loops and pulled his hips to me. I ground my own hips against the growing bulge in his jeans and heard him moan into the kiss. We broke apart, and I immediately began nipping at his neck, raising myself up on my toes to get a better angle.

That was all he needed.

He seized my waist and pushed me back until my legs met the edge of the bed. My hands worked quickly to undo his jeans' button and zipper at the same time he yanked his shirt over his head. He shoved his jeans and boxers down, stepped out of them, and then spun me around so my back was to him. I smiled to myself and bent over, splaying my hands on the mattress for support. His hands gripped my hips, and he paused.

I peered back at him over my shoulder, and when his eyes met mine, I flashed him a wicked smile. "Come on, baby. Show me what you got."

He gripped my hips and poised himself behind me, his eyes never leaving mine. "You sure about this?" My smile grew and I wiggled my ass a little, egging him on. His lips twitched as he fought a grin. "You're positive?" I spread my legs a little wider and ran my tongue across my lips. His grip tightened.

And then he drove into me, all the way. I gasped and closed my eyes, and he began pumping in and out. Each powerful thrust jerked my body forward, and within seconds he was bent over me, one of his arms wrapped around my waist to keep me still. His free hand found my clit, and I let out a long, pleasurable moan as he began stroking and toying it. Everything around me melted away, and all I could feel was Derek. On me. In me. Surrounding me. I reached back and fisted my fingers in his hair, forcing his head to bend into my neck. With his knees, he spread my legs even wider so he could go deeper.

My muscles clenched as my lower stomach grew warm. My walls tightened around him as he buried himself in me, and then he stopped, both his thrusts and his fingers. I groaned in aggravation and wiggled my body, trying to give myself that last needed push so I could fall over the edge, but Derek held me in place.

"_Derek_," I moaned through clenched teeth. "Please._ Please_."

His response was to nuzzle my neck as he chuckled. My head dropped and I released his hair. I reached beneath me so I could relieve myself, and Derek grabbed my hand and pinned it to the bed, then used his other to pin my supporting hand. I let out a frustrated groan.

"Damn it, Derek."

He gave the tiniest thrust, teasing me, and I just about lost my mind. "Ready, baby?" he asked, his hands slipping away from mine.

"Yes!"

He pulled back, and then shoved himself deep inside me at the same time he grabbed my breasts and used his arms to yank me up into his chest. My scream of relief ripped through the room as wave after wave of pleasure washed over me, making my toes curl. His release followed mine immediately. I fell against him, waiting to come back down from the adrenaline rush.

When my heart rate began to slow, I pulled away from him and turned. I flashed him a grin. "Thanks, baby."

"Not like I had a choice," he said, bending to scoop up his clothes.

"Of course you did. You could have said no," I scolded playfully, wagging my finger at him.

He glanced at me and raised an eyebrow. "Say no to you? Yeah, right." I smiled widely and struck a pose in front of him, making him laugh. "I'm gonna go take a shower."

"Alright, don't get lost," I said, waving him out the door.

"Can I borrow a towel?"

I rolled my eyes and went into the bathroom. "Jeez, you are so needy."

"Whatever," he chuckled, and caught the towel I tossed him. "Be right back."

I turned to go back into the bathroom, but froze when I heard a muffled, horribly familiar voice.

"Watch it, man!"

"You watch it," Derek shot back.

I groaned and grabbed my large night shirt and quickly pulled it on, then opened the door. Derek had only gotten a few feet away and seemed to be having a stare-down with Reid.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I am so sorry for the late update! I had temporarily lost my muse. My classes have started up again, but i promise to update as soon as i can. Remember: R&R!**

"You walked into me," Reid snapped, his blue eyes narrowed in a glare.

I darted into the hallway and grabbed Derek's arm before he could respond. "Hey. Hurry up with your shower so we can go get food." I smiled at him, silently telling him to just walk away. The last thing I needed was for Derek and Reid to get into a fistfight. Then I turned to the blond. "Keep walking, Reid."

Reid's eyes moved from Derek, trailed down my body and took in my T-shirt, and then went back to Derek. He clenched his jaw as if to stop himself from saying something.

"Stay out of my way, asshole," Derek growled at him.

Well there went my hope of avoiding a fight.

Anger sparked in Reid's eyes as he stepped closer, his glare never leaving my friend. "What's your problem?"

"Right now, you," Derek said heatedly.

I turned to look up at him. "Go take a shower." I said it quietly enough so only he could hear me. He didn't even seem to notice. His attention was still on the blond.

"And why am I such a problem?" Reid challenged.

"Because you're an arrogant, selfish, son of a bitch," Derek snarled, his hands fisting at his sides.

"Derek!" I said loudly, finally getting his attention. "Knock it off."

"What?"

"Knock it off," I repeated, glaring at him. He was making a scene. I knew why he was pissed at Reid, but he didn't need to start a fight over it. "Leave him alone and go take a shower."

"Why are you defending him?" Derek asked harshly.

"I'm not!" I snapped. "Just go take a shower so we can go get food."

"Be a good boy and listen to her," Reid said from behind me. He sounded like he was smiling.

I rounded on him, shoving him away. "Shut up, Reid, and keep walking." I glanced back at Derek and said, "Hurry up."

Shooting Reid a glare, Derek took a few steps back, then turned and started down the hallway to find the showers. Students had gathered around, eager to watch the fight and probably ready to add more fuel to the gossip mill. "What the hell are you all standing here for? Keep moving!" I said loudly, waving my arms for emphasis. As the students turned and headed their separate ways, I closed my eyes and groaned as I ran a hand through my hair. When I opened my eyes, I saw Reid still standing in his spot. "What are you still doing here?"

"You've changed a lot," he commented, ignoring my question.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes. I have. Some people do that." Turning, I headed back to my dorm.

"Do you still read those romance novels?"

The question caught me off guard and I frowned briefly. I looked back at him. "No."

His forehead creased slightly with a small frown. "Why?"

I shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable. "Because they're unrealistic." Then I went into my dorm and closed the door, halting any other questions he might have had.

I leaned back against the door, thinking. That question had been completely out of the blue. And I was really surprised that he remembered what I used to read. I had assumed that he'd forgotten everything about me once he'd won the bet, since there was no need to remember any of it. And now I was thinking about the one guy I always said I hated. Great. But. . . why _had_ he remembered that?

A few hours later, Clarissa, Derek and I were standing by his truck. They were heading back up to Vermont. A small part of me felt like they were abandoning me here, which was stupid since it wasn't even their fault that I had been sent back to Spencer. But all I could think of was that they would be in Vermont without me.

Clarissa pulled me into a hug. "I'm sorry we can't stay."

When I pulled back I smiled. "Don't worry about it." There was a bigger part of me that knew I was being stupid for feeling like there were abandoning me. They didn't have a choice, they had to be back for school the next day. "You go party it up in the woods. I'll just be here. . . alone. . . ."

"Stop," Clarissa laughed, shoving me.

I grinned. "I'm kidding. And I promise, if anything happens I'll call and tell you." As she was climbing into the truck, I hugged Derek.

He squeezed me tight and then let go. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes," I answered.

He raised an eyebrow at me, still unsure.

"I. Will. Be. Fine," I said, making sure each word sunk into his head. "But feel free to come back down and visit sometime." He still didn't seem convinced, but he pulled himself up into the truck and started the engine.

Clarissa leaned over him to look at me through the driver's side window. "Stay out of trouble! And don't piss your cousin off again."

Laughing, I backed away from the truck. "Can't make any promises! And see you guys on New Years!" I stood in the parking lot until Derek's truck couldn't be seen anymore, and then headed back to my dorm. I had (knowingly) put off all my homework until the last minute.

Monday morning came too fast. As my alarm was going off, I really considered throwing it across the room and then going back to sleep and skipping classes. But I didn't know if they would send someone to find me. So I dragged myself out of my warm, cozy bed, grabbed my shower stuff, and left the room. After showering, I returned to the dorm and pulled on the uniform. I swear, no matter how many times I put the thing on, it never seemed to get better-looking.

"Clarissa's pretty cool," Rebecca said as she slipped on her shoes.

I smiled. "Yeah. She's awesome."

"And Derek is quite the hottie."

"Yeah, he is. And he's pretty amazing in bed," I chuckled.

Rebecca shook her head, smiling. "You're such a little slut."

"I wouldn't say that. I don't sleep with every guy. Just a select few."

Her smile slowly disappeared. "So. . . I heard about his confrontation with Reid yesterday."

I quirked my lips to the side. "Oh really? What's the rumor mill's take on that?"

She shrugged. "Some think the two guys were fighting over you because you ended up in between them trying to stop it. Others think you're trying to make Reid jealous by screwing around with other guys."

"Great," I sighed, drawing the word out and rolling my eyes. "Why do people care so much?"

"Because they're lives are so pathetic they have to live vicariously through you," Rebecca supplied jokingly.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: hi everyone, i'm sooo very sorry for such a late update! this is sort of like a filler chapter that provides needed info. i'm very excited to write the next chapter :) not exactly sure when i'll update again, but i hope it will be soon! please R&R!**

The week passed by uneventfully. . . for the most part. I almost lost my temper a few times, thanks to the rumor mill. Rebecca hadn't been kidding about what people thought of the fight between Derek and Reid.

And Kira hadn't given up on trying to get back at me. Apparently my reaction from when she tripped me in the cafeteria didn't satisfy her. So far, I've had water dumped on me, had one of my essays stolen, found worms in my gym clothes (I'm pretty sure Aaron had done that, per request of his girlfriend, because I'm positive Kira would never touch a worm), and other mediocre pranks like that. Instead of bruising that pretty little face of hers, I just shrugged off her attempts. Actually, I laughed at them, which I think pissed her off even more.

But by the next Monday, I was extremely frustrated with everyone. And the best way I knew of to work out my frustrations was with a guy. So when lunch came around, I jumped in line and got my food, ate quickly, and then located Brian at a table with his friends.

I stepped up next to him and slid onto the table, tipping my head to the side slightly and smiled at him. "Hey."

"Hey, what's up?" he said, returning the smile.

I held out my hand to him. We had twenty minutes before the bell rang and we had to return to classes. "Come with me."

He studied me, and then asked slowly, "Why?" But his eyes were alight with interest.

"Please come with me?"

He took my hand. I jumped off the table and pulled him from his seat. One of his friends whistled as we left, drawing the attention of nearby students. But I didn't care. I needed to get out my frustrations, now.

We rushed down the hall and I pulled him into a janitor's closet, stumbling a little over mops and buckets. I pulled a condom from my bag and then dropped the bag on the floor. As soon as I closed the door, I pushed him up against the wall and kissed him hard. My fingers worked at unbuttoning his pants.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," he chuckled.

"I can't," I said as I shoved his pants and boxers down. My fingers wrapped around him and my hand moved up and down quickly. He hardened almost instantly. "I need you now."

He turned us both, putting my back against the wall. I ripped open the little package and slid the condom onto his cock. His fingers slipped under my skirt and pulled my panties down. I kicked them off and he lifted me up. My legs wrapped around his waist and I dug my fingers into his shoulders in anticipation.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Please, Brian. I want you inside me," I breathed, leaning forward and nipping his neck.

He obliged immediately, and I nearly cried out as he entered me and began pumping his hips.

"Yes, yes. Faster. Like that," I moaned, using his shoulders and the wall as leverage as I rode against him. My body began to shudder. When my release came, I dug my nails into his shoulders, rocking against him until I felt his orgasm rock him.

We stayed like that for a minute, panting, before he slid out of me and set me on my feet.

I found my panties and pulled them back on, then slung my bag over my shoulder and moved to the door. "Thanks. I needed that."

"No. Thank _you_," he said as I opened the door and peered out. "That was the best lunch break I've ever had."

Seeing that the coast was clear, I stepped out, flashing him a smile. "My pleasure."

The bell rang.

"See you around!" I called as I hurried down the nearly empty hall toward my next class. I felt much better.

I quickly rounded the corner at the end of the hall and slammed into a hard body, losing my balance. Two hands grabbed my arms, steadying me. My body tingled slightly.

"Shit. You alright?"

I looked up and froze for a moment when I saw that I had run into Reid. "Uh, yeah." It took me a few more moments to realize that his hands were still on my arms. I stepped away from him, breaking the contact, and ran a hand through my hair, feeling uncomfortable. "Gotta go." I moved around him and rushed to my classroom. The tingling was slowly subsiding with the more distance I put between us.

When I arrived in class, I received a very brief lecture about tardiness and then was able to take a seat. The teacher began droning on, and I slipped into my own thoughts. Why the hell did I have that reaction from Reid's touch? My body wasn't supposed to. . . to. . . _tingle_. It was supposed to tense up; prepare for a confrontation!

I slumped in my seat. The happy relaxation I'd felt after my quickie with Brian was fading fast. Shit. I was going to have to find Brian again, or another guy.

By the end of the day, my relaxed feeling from Brian had completely worn off. And the few times my mind accidentally wandered back to the little incident with Reid, my body responded ever so slightly, which pissed me off. What. The. Hell? So when I walked into my dorm, I dropped my bag, fell face-down on my bed, pulled the pulled against my face, and screamed.

The dorm door opened just as my scream died.

"You're seriously frustrated?" Rebecca asked. "From what I hear, you had a damn good lunch break. How can you be in a bad mood already?"

"It's complicated," I mumbled, rolling onto my back and staring up at the ceiling.

She shrugged and began changing out of her uniform. "So, random question."

"Shoot," I sighed.

"Isn't your birthday around this time?"

I blinked and frowned a bit. Wow. I'd been so preoccupied with how shitty my life had become that I hadn't even thought of my birthday. "Uh, yeah. On Thursday." How could I forget my own birthday? My eighteenth birthday, no less.

"Sooo, what are we going to do?" Rebecca asked brightly.

"Do?"

"On Thursday, to celebrate. I mean, there's not a whole lot we can do in Ipswich. We could go to _Nicky's_."

"Yeah, maybe." I stood and changed into a pair of jeans and a tank top, grabbed my dorm key and cell phone, and headed for the door. I needed another workout.

"Where are you going?"

"To find Brian," I replied.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hello readers! I'm so sorry for such a late update. But I'm finally on summer break, so I'm hoping to be able to update more often. This is sort of a filler chapter, but contains important info/ a small event. Please enjoy, and R&R!**

I hadn't been able to find Brian. I'd gone to his room, but his roommate said he wasn't there. Though he had offered me casual sex. I turned him down. It was easier having just a couple sex partners. Getting past that number meant dipping your toes in dangerous waters, what with guys and their egos and shit. I've swam in those waters before and didn't feel like venturing back in any time soon.

I checked the gym and the pool, the cafeteria, the library. He was no where. Disappointed, I returned to my dorm for the night. I should probably work on some homework anyways.

When I walked through the door, I saw Rebecca sprawled out on her bed, reading. "Hey."

"Hey," she said, not taking her eyes away from the book.

"Must be a good read," I said, pulling out my history homework and flopping down on my bed.

"Actually, it is." She glanced at me. "It's one of those romance novels you always read freshman and sophomore year. I never got why you liked them so much. But this one's really good."

I leaned forward to read the front cover, and then raised an eyebrow at her. "Since when do you read romance novels?"

She shrugged. "Since I was bored after school and remembered that you used to read them all the time." She looked over at me. "Why don't you read them anymore?"

"Because they're unrealistic," I answered, turning my eyes to my homework.

"So what? They're still a good read."

"You've only read that one, and you're not even halfway through it."

"Well if I haven't put it down by now, then it must be good."

I stared at her book for a minute before turning to my homework. Honestly, I did miss being able to get lost in a good book. But at the same time, I didn't want to build up any hopes for a guy.

The next couple of days passed by slowly. I wasn't able to hook up with Brian because he was busy with two projects and a paper, which kind of sucked. So the middle of the week was uneventful. Kira had even stopped pranking me, which I probably should have been suspicious of. But honestly, what was the worst she could do?

When Thursday morning rolled around and my alarm went off, I opened my eyes and nearly jumped a foot in the air in surprise.

Rebecca was leaning over me with a huge grin. As soon as she saw that I was awake, she yelled, "Happy Birthday!"

"Holy shit, you scared me," I said, pushing myself into a sitting position and rubbing my eyes. When I looked at her again, I saw that she was holding a cupcake with red frosting and a small lit candle. I couldn't help but smile. "Aw, thanks."

She handed it to me. "No problem. How's it feel to be eighteen?"

"Not very different," I chuckled and bit into the treat. "Mmm. This is good."

"So, thought of what you want to do tonight to celebrate?"

I shook my head, my mouth full.

"Well, we can go to _Nicky's_. He might give you some free food and drinks."

I swallowed. "Sure. Sounds fun."

"Great!"

"Just no Kira," I added with a smile.

She chuckled. "Alright, no Kira."

After getting ready, we headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. In line, I bumped into Brian, who turned and grinned at me. "Feel like having a little morning fun?"

I returned the grin. "You mean you finally have a little free time?"

Rebecca slung her arm over my shoulders. "You better show her a really good time. Today's her birthday."

"No shit?" he asked. "And here I am with no gift." He leaned closer. "If you stop by my dorm tonight I'll give you a proper present."

My grin grew. "I might take you up on that offer."

"Can't. Sorry," Rebecca chimed in. "We're going to _Nicky's _to celebrate."

"Well, when you get back," he said.

"What if I asked for a rain check?"

"I might be able to fit you into my schedule," he said, shrugging.

Someone cleared their throat loudly behind us. "Can you keep moving? Some of us want to sit down and eat."

That voice.

I turned slowly and saw what my mind,and body, already knew. Reid was standing behind us, tapping his foot impatiently while holding a tray of cereal and orange juice. He was staring at me.

My blood heated, and I silently cursed.

"You can always cut ahead," I said.

"You'd probably snap at me for it," he replied coolly.

He was probably right. Damn. I turned and followed Brian to the cashier.

Brian jerked a thumb at me. "I'll pay for hers, too."

I smiled at him. "Aw, thanks."

He grinned. "Yeah, well. Happy Birthday."

The rest of the day passed somewhat quickly. I got more "happy birthdays" than I'd had my first two years at Spencer, which was a little annoying. Most of the people who said it I recognized as the ones who whispered and pointed at me the day after Reid won the bet. None of them would even know me if it hadn't been for that day and those two bastards. But on the bright side, I received many texts from friends in Vermont.

When I returned to my dorm after the day's classes, a package was sitting on the floor in front of the door. It was wrapped in red and purple wrapping paper, and looked to be about the size of a small book. My name was scrawled across the wrapping in black sharpie.

Curious, I picked it up.

"What's that?" Rebecca asked as she walked up.

"Don't know. It was just sitting here." I unlocked the door and we walked into the dorm, closing the door behind us.

I sat on my bed and turned the package, trying to guess what was inside. Then I ripped one edge and pulled out a. . . book.

And as I studied the cover, I realized that it was the next book after the one I had been reading in Reid's dorm that day. I stared at it, stunned. Who. . . ? I opened it and found the receipt and a note in the same handwriting as on the wrapping paper.

Hey, wasn't sure if you already had or read this book.

If so, here's the receipt and you can go exchange it,

or get the money back if you want.

Happy Birthday.

I read the note a few times, trying to figure out who it was from, since they hadn't signed their name.

"Who's it from?" Rebecca asked.

I shook my head. A little voice in my head was whispering who it was to me, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to believe it. "Don't know."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: hi everyone! sorry this is such a late update! i got distracted by work and end of classes, and then another story idea, and a new book that i've been waiting for! but here it is! please R&R, i love reading your thoughts/comments! hopefully the next chapter will be up soon.**

My parents had called to wish me a happy birthday that evening, so we were a little later in heading to the bar than we had planned. But hearing from them was nice. Emails just weren't the same. I walked out of the bathroom and did a little twirl in front of Rebecca, who whistled at me. I was wearing a short dark denim skirt and a dark violet shirt with a plunging neckline. My hair was pulled into a French braid, and silver hoop earrings adorned my ears. Once I slipped on the black heeled sandals, the outfit was complete. I flashed my roommate a sly grin. "I feel a sin coming on."

Rebecca chuckled. "Dressed like that, I would think so." She stood after strapping on her own shoes, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door. "Let's party!"

I slipped two twenties into my bra and my cell into my cleavage and followed her out.

The parking lot at _Nicky's_ was maybe three-quarters full. I saw some teens going in and out, and when I stepped out of the car, I could hear the dull pounding of the music. Smiling widely, I grabbed Rebecca's hand and we hurried inside. She pulled me to the bar and signaled to the large bartender.

"What can I get you girls?" Nicky asked with a smile.

"How about a little special something for my friend here, " Rebecca said, nodding to me, "because it's her eighteenth birthday."

"I'll see what I can come up with," Nicky said with a chuckle. "I'll wave you girls over when it's ready."

"Thanks!" We said together.

Rebecca pulled me to the dance floor, and my body easily found the beat. Minutes later, I felt hands on my waist and jeans brushing against my bear legs as someone moved closer. Glancing up, I grinned and turned so I could wrap my arms around my new partner's neck.

"Well, well, well. Look who I found," Brendan said, smiling down at me.

"I was wondering if I'd see you tonight," I replied.

He flashed me a sexy little grin as he pulled me closer. "Were you hoping for another jeep-side meeting?"

A slow smile crept across my face as I remembered how good he was. "Maybe."

"Birthday Girl!" Rebecca said loudly, grabbing my shoulder. "Come on, Nicky's got your special order ready."

Brendan raised an eyebrow. "Birthday girl?"

"Yup," I answered, grinning. "What's my present?"

He leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Meet me by my jeep when you're done with your special order."

As I slipped out of his arms, I said, "Well now I have to. My curiosity's too strong." I moved around dancers as I headed back to the bar, where Rebecca and Nicky were waiting. When I slid onto the high stool, Nicky set large burger in front of me, the top bun sitting on the plate beside it. _Happy Birthday_ was written in ketchup across the patty. He also set a Mountain Dew in front of me. "Aw, thanks Nicky!"

"It's not much, but I won't charge you for it," he said with a shrug.

"It's great." I dropped the top bun onto the burger and then bit in, savoring the juicy flavors. When I was done eating, I pushed the plate away, feeling very full. "Damn that was good."

"I got that, since you chowed it," Rebecca laughed.

A shout near the pool table pulled our attention, and anger briefly flashed through me when I saw Reid and Aaron standing by the table. Was that how they were when they made the bet two years ago? But it was easy to see the tension between them, and both of their glares were murderous. Aaron moved and shoved Reid back. Reid dropped his pool stick and shoved back, harder. Before Aaron could retaliate, Brendan stepped in and seemed to be trying to talk some sense into the two guys. Aaron, for some reason looking angrier than before, swung and hit him in the face.

I was up in a second and rushing over, pushing people in the gathering crowd out of my way. I reached Brendan and saw that he was holding his bloody nose up, trying to stop the bleeding. "Get some napkins," I ordered, and Rebecca hurried off. She was back moments later with a handful of white napkins. I took some and moved closer to Brendan, who had just noticed me. "Here," I said, reaching up and gently pressing the napkins around his nose. Blood immediately began soaking into the thin material.

"Thanks," Brendan said, taking over holding the napkins to his nose.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Reid watching me with a small frown.

"Well isn't that sweet," Aaron drawled.

I moved next to Brendan and glared at the jackass.

"Looks like you've found another sex buddy," Aaron continued, smirking. "You seem to be getting around very easily, Cassie. First Reid, then Brian, now this guy. And from what I hear, your friend who came to visit you. If you're not careful you'll catch something."

"As long as I stay away from you I'm sure I'll be safe," I said coolly, satisfaction sweeping through me when Aaron scowled. I turned back to Brendan. "Do you want me to take you home or something?"

"You should let her," Aaron chimed in. "I bet she can make you feel much better."

I rounded on him, pulling my fist back and then forward. My fist cracked into the side of his face, the force knocking him off balance. "I bet I can break your face," I snapped heatedly.

Aaron glared at me, carefully rubbing his tender cheek.

Before he could say anything, Nicky appeared, looking very mad. "Enough! Time for all of you to leave. Now." He looked at me. "Sorry Birthday Girl, you too."

I nodded understandingly and followed Brendan and Rebecca out the door. "Are you okay to drive?"

"Yeah, no worries." Brendan gave me an apologetic look. "Guess your birthday present's going to have to wait."

"It's okay, I'd rather you get better."

He nodded. "Thanks. See you later."

As Rebecca and I were walking back to her car, I saw the Sons of Ipswich leaving the bar. A sour-looking Reid seemed to be getting a lecture from a stern-looking Caleb. Pogue and Tyler were trailing behind, as though they'd heard the lecture before.

Reid's eyes caught mine and held my gaze for a minute. Orange gleamed in his blue eyes, and I stopped in my tracks and gasped as what felt like fingers slid inside my core. I glanced down, but saw only my denim skirt, and nothing that could have slipped beneath my thong. One of the invisible fingers curled in a come-hither motion, and my knees nearly buckled at the intense sensation.

"Cassie, you okay?" Rebecca asked, pausing and watching me.

My eyes flew back to Reid, who was still watching me. The ghost of a smirk was on his lips.

The invisible finger slid out, leaving me wanting more. Needing more.

"Cassie," Rebecca said, walking closer.

"Yeah," I said distractedly as Reid turned away and climbed into the Hummer. "Yeah, I'm fine." Lie. That one sensation had _really_ turned me on. I considered finding Brian when we got back, but for some reason that didn't seem. . . right. The thought of him driving into me didn't feel satisfying.

We drove back to the school in silence, the music from the radio being the only sound. As hard as I tried, I could _not_ calm myself. When we were back in the dorm, I grabbed two clean towels, my bathroom bag, and headed for the door.

"Thanks for tonight," I said with a smile. "It was a lot of fun."

"Until we got kicked out," Rebecca laughed.

I chuckled. "Yeah. I'm going to take a shower, I feel sweaty." I quickly left and hurried down the hall. In the bathroom, I stripped off my clothes and set them on the bench. I was still as turned on as I had been in the parking lot, and as I moved toward the shower stalls, I noticed Out of Order signs on all but the one in the corner. Frustrated, I hung the towels on the stall's hook and hurried into it, pulling the curtain shut behind me and setting my bathroom bag on the small shelf. I turned on the hot water, waiting for it to warm up before I stepped into the spray. After soaking my hair, I leaned back against the wall, spreading my legs a bit, and slipped one finger inside myself.

I began moving it slowly, curling it in the same come-hither motion the invisible fingers had done. My thumb rubbed against my clit at the same speed as my moving finger. Increasing the pace of both, I rocked my hips a little, riding against my hand. I slid down the wall a little, spreading my center wider, as my eyes fluttered closed. My imagination took over, and suddenly the hard wall behind me was replaced by a soft bed. The warm water spraying against my naked body was a warm body. I opened my eyes and felt my breath catch when I saw a familiar pair of blue eyes gazing down at me. It was no longer my hand moving against my core, but his. My head fell back, my breathing quickening. And my release came soon after, its intensity causing my knees to shake.

As the pleasurable sensation faded, I came back to reality. I stayed leaning against the wall until the very last wave of pleasure, and then slowly began washing my hair and body. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the image of Reid out of my head.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: ok, i know i don't usually update so quickly, but i've been planning the last chapter, this chapter, and the next one or two, so i was excited to keep things moving. Enjoy! Remember, R&R!**

The next morning, I awoke to Rebecca shaking me. "Get up, Cassie! You're going to be late!"

Groggily, I batted her hands away and reached out and grabbed my cell. One look at the time had me clamoring out of bed. "Shit! Why didn't you wake me sooner?" I ran around, collecting my shower stuff.

"I tried!" she answered, exasperated. "You kept falling back asleep."

I rushed out the door and to the showers, cleaned myself as fast as I could, and ran back to the dorm. Rebecca was already dressed and pulling on her shoes. I dumped my stuff on my bed and quickly moved around the room, yanking on my uniform and hurriedly combing my hair.

"Do you want me to wait for you?" she asked, watching me with an amused smile.

I looked at my cell for the time and saw it was ten minutes to eight. Classes started at eight-fifteen. "No, go get breakfast. It'd be mean of me to make you late too."

She shrugged. "Alright. If you're not down there by eight-ten I'll grab you a bagel."

"Please and thank you!" I called as she left. I brushed my teeth and applied my makeup, then stuffed my books and notebooks into my bag, dug out a pair of socks from the bureau, and pulled them on, followed by my shoes. Another glance at the time showed that it was five minutes after eight. I hefted my bag over my shoulder, slid my cell into the front pocket, and hurried out of the room and down the hall.

My cell buzzed in my bag, signaling a text message, but I ignored it. Food first, then get to class on time. I'd check it once I was seated. As I was approaching the cafeteria, someone yelled my name. Annoyed at the interruption, I whirled around and saw Reid and his friends running toward me. "I don't have time to talk, I'm late," I said, already moving toward the cafeteria doors.

"Don't go in there," Reid called as they approached.

I frowned. "Why?"

"Just. . . don't," Reid answered as all four boys stopped running a few feet away from me.

I quickly studied them, and noticed that Tyler, Caleb, and Pogue were avoiding looking right at me. Tyler had a slightly pink tint to his cheeks, and when his eyes caught mine, the pink grew darker. Even Reid seemed a little embarrassed. "O-kay. I don't know what's up with you guys right now, but I really need to get some food before class."

As I turned away, Reid grabbed my arm, stopping me. "Seriously, don't go in there."

"Why not?" I snapped, trying desperately to ignore the tingling sensation that was spreading through me from his touch. My mind flashed back to the incident in the parking lot, and then to my fantasy in the shower last night. For the first time in a while, I felt heat rising to my cheeks. Even more annoyed, I yanked my arm from his grasp. He hadn't answered my question, so I turned and rushed inside before he could stop me.

But as soon as I was in the cafeteria, I paused. All eyes found me, and silence fell over all the students in the large room. Then whispers started. Very confused, I just stood there, glancing around. This felt scarily similar to the day after Reid had won the bet.

Rebecca hurried over to me, her expression anxious. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, getting food," I replied, giving her a questioning look.

"I'm impressed you came out of the dorm," she confessed, casting her gaze around before returning her eyes to me. "But then again, you've changed a lot, and seem to be able to handle anything now."

I frowned again. "What the hell are you talking about?"

She frowned back. "Haven't you seen it?"

"Seen what?" Now I was _really_ annoyed. Why was it that everyone seemed to know things before me?

"The mass multimedia text that everyone got. The video of –" She broke off, and I felt a cold sinking feeling in my stomach.

"The video of what?" I asked in a quietly calm voice. A voice that was the complete opposite of the growing fear inside me.

"Did you get a text a few minutes ago?"

"Yeah," I said slowly. "But I've been in a hurry so I haven't checked it yet."

She swallowed, obviously nervous for me. "You should look at it."

I pulled my cell out of the bag and looked at the screen. One new multimedia message, sent from an unknown number. With a slightly trembling finger, I opened the message and the video began playing. And suddenly it felt like I had been punched, hard, in the stomach.

On the small screen of my cell was me, naked, in the shower. I watched as the miniature me in the video leaned against the wall and pleasured myself. Ice cold embarrassment gripped my insides, and hot moisture pressed into my eyes. This video showed me in my most vulnerable state, doing something that was private and only for me to experience. Slowly, I raised my gaze to my roommate's, who had pity shimmering in her eyes.

The door behind me opened, and I glanced back and saw the Sons of Ipswich walking in. They stopped when they saw me, and I knew they could tell from my expression that I had just seen what they were talking about. What Reid had tried to. . . protect me from. Protect? Was that what he had been trying to do?

I glanced around. "Everyone –?" I broke off, unable to finish the question.

Rebecca nodded sadly.

I inhaled deeply, working very hard at keeping the rising heat in my face at bay. It was suddenly clear why Reid had been trying to keep me from entering the cafeteria. And why his three friends couldn't look directly at me. My jaw clenched. How the hell had someone gotten a video of this? It had just happened last night! How. . . .

The Out of Order shower stalls.

Someone had put those signs up, forcing me into the corner stall. Forcing me under the camera. Who. . . ?

The answer hit me hard.

That. Fucking. Bitch.

I stuffed my cell back into my bag, my gaze already zeroed in on the red-headed brat. She was sitting at a table, surrounded by her friends, acting like the queen the thought she was. I stalked past my roommate, who had already noticed where I was heading. As I neared her table, the students nearby fell silent, watching me carefully. I knew I probably had a murderous expression on my face, and it took a lot of effort to smooth it out and portray a calm exterior.

Kira looked up as I approached her table, and flashed me a confidently superior smile. "Well, look who it is. Spencer's new. . . celebrity. Honestly, I had only planned on getting a video of you showering, but then you went and made it so much more interesting."

I flashed her a fake smile of my own, already planning how I was going to make this conversation go. "I must say, Kira. I'm impressed. I never thought you'd be able to come up with something that. . . creative."

Her smiled faltered. "You're impressed?"

My smile grew. "Yeah. But how did you know I'd be showering then?"

"Well I'd heard you were going to _Nicky's_, got everything set, and then just hoped you'd want a shower after. And then you did that."

Her friends cackled with laughter, adding to my embarrassment. I refused to let them humiliate me, though. I would_ not_ let them put me through a similar humiliation that I experienced sophomore year. I noticed Aaron sitting beside her with his friend, Brody. They were looking at a cell phone screen and grinning like idiots. One guess about what they were watching. I felt a small bit of satisfaction when I saw the bruise on the side of his cheek. Then the idea came to me. "I guess I should thank you for making me a celebrity," I said with false cheerfulness. "At least now I know who every guy in school will be thinking of tonight as they fall asleep and dream. Even your boyfriend will be fantasizing about me for the next week."

Her smile fell away completely, and Aaron shot me a horrified look.

"Hell, the next time you two have sex he might be pretending he's with me. Especially now that he has the visual." I looked at Aaron. "Just please remember that I'm much better in bed than her." With that, I turned and walked away, head held high. I would not let them know that they had gotten to me.

The bell rang as I was walking to the kitchen area to get food. I picked up my pace so I wouldn't be too late for class, and almost ran into Brian when he stepped in front of me, a huge smirk on his face.

"Guess I know you didn't come see me last night. Gave yourself a little self-service." He wiggled his cell phone in front of me. "I'm really glad I can watch the show, but an in-person visual is always better. Mind giving me one?"

Furious, I shoved past him and grabbed a bagel and paid. How could he suddenly be such a dick? As I left the cafeteria with Rebecca, I used all of my self control to hold back tears.

This place was definitely hell.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hi everyone! I'm sorry if the previous chapter was difficult to read for anyone, and I'm sorry if it brought up any bad memories for anyone. **

**This chapter might be a little confusing, but I'm hoping that if that's the case then it'll all make sense when later chapters come. Enjoy! And remember to R&R!**

**T**he entire day was horrible. Everyone was commenting on the video: guys making smartass comments about my body and sexual skills; girls making snarky remarks about the guys' comments. I think gym was the worst because we all had to be in bathing suits, and the guys seemed to think that me wearing a one-piece meant that their hands could "accidentally" wander. It took all of my mental, physical, and emotional energy not to beat the shit out of everyone around me, save for Rebecca and the Sons of Ipswich. I had to admit that I was glad they were in my gym class, because all four of them kept shoving the annoying guys away from me, which saved me a couple times from breaking some people's noses. Of course that made everyone in our class start turn their attention to the Sons for a few minutes at a time, but I was silently thankful, because it meant that during those few minutes I didn't have to deal with the assholes. Throughout the day Kira used every chance she had to say something about the video and put all attention of everyone around us on me.

And during it all, I kept my head high and made sure to portray a calm exterior, even though inside I just wanted to run off to a corner and cry. But I refused to show that the situation had gotten to me. I knew that if I showed even the slightest hint of weakness, Kira's group would pounce on it.

By the time I walked into the dorm at the end of the day, the stress and embarrassment had really taken it's tole and I was exhausted. After dropping my stuff on the floor, I fell onto the bed, buried my head in my pillow, and screamed, long and hard. I screamed until my throat hurt. When I

finally sat up, I saw Rebecca standing by her bed watching me, and I felt new embarrassment at having her witness my small breakdown.

I inhaled deeply and let it out before saying anything. "Don't look so worried, I'm fine." I stood and began stripping out of the uniform.

"How can you be fine after that?" she asked, somewhat astonished at the calmness in my voice.

I shrugged and grabbed a tank top and a pair of short shorts from my bureau, pulling them on quickly. "Screaming helps de-stress me; I just did that, so now I'm fine."

"You don't have to lie to me," she said, watching me carefully. "I saw the video and I heard everyone's comments. And I know what you went through sophomore year–"

"No you don't," I snapped, cutting her off. "You don't know anything about my sophomore year."

"Of course I do," she said, a little anger slipping into her voice. "I know about the bet, I know what Reid did to you."

"Of course you know about the bet, everyone knows about that fucking bet!" I said heatedly, my building anger adding venom to my voice. "Everyone knows that the only reason Reid started talking to me and pretended to be my friend was because he was trying to get me into bed so he could fuck me and win a bet! And most people know that I lost my virginity because of that! But no one knows what it was like to be left in the dark like that, and to think that Reid Garwin actually liked me. That he was actually interested in me because of me. And then he kicked me out of his room after we had sex. . . after my first time. . . . And to find out the next day that he had only gotten close to me and gotten me into bed because of some stupid bet. . . ."

I shook my head, only then realizing that a few tears had slipped down my cheek. I angrily wiped them away and blinked back the unshed moisture still in my eyes. And it was that moment, that rant, that made me realize why I had been so upset. It wasn't just that Reid had used me. It wasn't just how he had treated me after. It was that during those months where we were becoming "friends", I had fallen for him. And I had let him seduce me that day because I trusted and lo. . . cared for him. And with that realization, a new pain stabbed at my heart. "You have no idea what it was like. So don't ever tell me that you understand, because you don't. I never thought that something worse than that could happen. But I was wrong. The kids at this school. . . there aren't words to describe how absolutely horrible they are." I sank onto my bed, not looking at my roommate. "Just please. . . don't mention any of this ever again."

Rebecca didn't answer, and I was glad. I didn't want to talk anymore. Instead she changed her clothes, fixed her hair, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door. "I'm going to do some errands in town. You want to come? Get out of Spencer for a few hours?"

I turned to look at her and gave a small smile. "Thanks. But no. I need a little alone time to. . . think."

She nodded, returning my smile, and left, closing the door behind her.

I waited until I was sure she was down the hall, and then buried my face in my pillow, curled my knees into my chest, and let out everything I had been holding in since morning. The tears soaked the pillow as the hard sobs racked my body.

It was at least an hour later before I managed to calm myself, and then I just stayed in the same fetal position, reveling in the brief cleansed feeling. But a knock on the door had me rushing from the bed and into the bathroom to wash my face with cold water, not wanting anyone to know that I had been crying. "Just a minute!" I hollered to whoever was on the other side of the door.

**I** stood in the hall, waiting for the door to open. I still had no idea what I was going to say. All I could think of was how. . . strong she had been during the day and with dealing with everyone. And I was amazed at how well she had handled herself when confronting Kira and anyone else who had mentioned the video, which was almost every student she came into contact with. The guys and I had immediately deleted the video from our phones. . . though I think we were all somewhat embarrassed that we had watched the whole thing. I mean, it wasn't exactly something you were used to seeing on your cell phone. And it was an even bigger shock to see that it was someone we knew.

The door opened, revealing Cassie in a tight tank top and an extremely short pair of shorts, the clothes showing off all her curves.

"Reid?" she gasped, staring up at me with wide eyes.

The first thing I noticed about her surprised face was that her eyes were red and a little puffy, and I realized that she had been crying. Her mostly calm attitude throughout the day had just been an act. Something in my chest constricted painfully. "Can I come in?"

She seemed at a loss for what to do, but stepped aside to let me in, casting her eyes to the floor as I walked by her. My eyes scanned the room, and I found myself comparing Cassie's current side of the room to what I remembered it looking like two years ago. Two years. It sounded like such a long time, but it felt like only months ago. I turned to her, and saw that she was standing near the closed door, her arms crossed. A subconscious shield to protect herself.

She was watching me, a mixture of confusion, loathing, and something else glimmering in her eyes. I understood the loathing. I hated myself too for what she went through because of me. I thought about it almost every day, never able to think of how I could make it up to her, if that was even possible. But I knew how I could start.

**M**y heart was beating rapidly in my chest as I stared at him. He had changed out of his uniform and was wearing dark jeans and a somewhat loose long-sleeved shirt. His beanie hat covered his head, but the ends of his blond hair stuck out from the bottom. If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn that there was concern in his beautiful blue eyes.

Seeing his eyes caused my mind to flash back to my fantasy in the shower, and I suddenly became very aware that I was only wearing a tank top and shorts, neither of which left much to the imagination. I had to break our silent eye contact as heat rose to my cheeks. But I didn't have the energy to fight it back. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to check on you," he answered, his eyes never leaving me.

I padded to my bed and sat down, forcing everything I had let out while crying back into the box I had locked them in throughout the day. "Well I'm fine. No need to concern yourself with me."

Reid sat down on my bed, his body closer than some people would consider appropriate. If it had been any other guy, even Derek, I would have kicked them off the bed, not wanting them to violate my personal space while I was still recovering from the humiliation. But there was something about Reid. . . . I hated to admit that my body wanted him close. It ached for his touch. And it was a hard war between my body and my mind to accept that. My realization earlier about my feelings for him sophomore year made it a little easier to accept my body's reaction. He was my first lo. . . strong crush, and the first guy I had been mentally, emotionally, and physically intimate with. It was only natural to still feel a strong pull toward him. So I let him stay where he was. At least, I told myself that I was letting him stay.

I could see that he wanted to say something, and his gaze was studying my face. Could he tell I had been crying? Maybe. In my rush I hadn't done as good of a job as I should have when rinsing my face.

"You're not fine."

I was a little thrown at his bluntness, but then I remembered that sophomore year, he had learned how to read me and he had been able to pick up on my real emotions, like Derek. After the bet, I had thought that he had only trained himself how to do that so he would know when I was ready to be conquered. But by staring into his face now, and seeing his serious expression, I found myself rethinking that theory. If it had only been about the bet, then he should have forgotten how to do it by now. A small bit of hope bloomed inside me, and I didn't have the courage to stomp it back down. I realized that I needed that hope. Maybe. . . maybe there had been more to our relationship. Was that why he had been trying to help me ever since I came back to Spencer?

When I didn't reply, he sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here. I know I'm the last person you want to see."

He stood, but before he could take a step away, I had panicked and grabbed his wrist. The now familiar tingling moved through me from our skin to skin contact. I didn't understand the sudden panic over him leaving. "Why did come?"

He studied me before answering. "I wanted to check on you."

"But why?" I asked. "Why do you care how I'm doing? You didn't seem too concerned when you threw me out of your room."

He clenched his jaw and his lips tightened. "Forget it. I shouldn't have come here." He pulled away from me and went to the door. As he opened it, he looked back at me. "I'll make sure no one can watch the video again." Then he left.

And I was left sitting on my bed, more confused than I had been in my life.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hi everyone! First off, I'm loving the reviews! Keep 'em coming! Here's the next chapter, hope you like it. Not as much dialogue, but some insight. Enjoy! And R&R**

**I** stayed on my bed for the next couple of hours, confused about Reid's sudden visit and trying to work out why I had panicked when he had tried to leave. Okay, I had figured out that I had had strong feelings for him sophomore year. And I had thought that after I learned about his real motives and had moved back to Vermont, I had trumped any and all emotions for him, except one: anger. But then why was my body reacting to his touch the way it was? And why did I panic when he had tried to leave?

Leaning back against my pillow, I reflected on everything that had happened since I returned to Spencer Academy, focusing on the moments that involved Reid. There was the party at the dells, where he not only redirected his attention from a desperate blond girl to me, but also didn't rat me out to my cousin when I wanted to steal the cop car and then had his friends wait for me until I was back in the Hummer. He had stopped the almost-fistfight between Kira and me in the cafeteria, and then had tried to bring me my bag. He had flirted with me in the hallway. He had gotten into an argument with Derek. He had not only given me a birthday present, but had bothered to find the next book in the series I had been reading sophomore year, the book after the one he had cast aside that day. He had tried to stop me from walking into an embarrassing situation. And he had stopped by to check on me after said embarrassing situation and day. And even though my mind was trying to hold onto the emotions I had left Ipswich with two years ago, I couldn't deny that the guy was making it very difficult to continue hating him. And my body's reaction every time he touched me wasn't helping my mind's attempts at holding onto the hate.

And there were still two more, new, questions: how was he going to get rid of my shower video from _everyone's_ phone? And why was he helping?

My curiosity was much stronger for the answer to the second question. I had created an image of Reid Garwin while back in Vermont, one where he was a completely selfish jackass. But that image of him had been cracking ever since I returned to this hellhole, which was really messing with my head. It was so much easier to hate him from afar because being near him. . . it stirred memories that I had wanted to forget, thinking that they were all fake. Yet thinking back on everything now, I started wondering if there had been more to mine and Reid's friendship back then. . . if it had been real. . . .

**The** cool water welcomed me as I dove into the pool. My body cut through the liquid, the force of my dive propelling me just over halfway across the lane. When my head broke the surface, I sucked in a deep breath and turned my face into the water, breathing out, and then back up for more air as my arms and legs automatically worked in unison to keep me moving. My hand touched the opposite wall and I flipped underwater easily, pushing myself off the wall with my legs and starting back. My muscles stretched and contracted, and I felt my tension slowly starting to ease. I refused to let my mind wander. I didn't want to think about anything at that moment except for the incredible feeling of gliding through the water.

An hour later, I pulled myself out of the pool, grabbed the towel on one of the wall hooks, and ran it over my hair and body as I went into the locker room. With it being almost seven at night on a Friday, the pool and locker room were empty, and I leaned against my locker, enjoying the silence as I slowly let my thoughts invade my head.

I couldn't get the image of Cassie standing in her dorm doorway out of my head. Remembering her in those tight clothes that showed off her curves stirred memories I was guilty to have, knowing that many of them she probably considered my stepping stones for the bet. But it was her red, somewhat puffy eyes and sad face that were burned into my mind. It had been clear the moment she opened the door that the day's humiliation had taken a major toll on her and caused her to break down once she was safely behind walls where no one could see her. Was that how she'd looked in her dorm after I'd kicked her out? Or had she looked like that the day after I'd won the bet, when everyone was talking about her? When the guys and I had walked into the cafeteria today and seen her standing in the middle of the room, talking to Rebecca, and she'd looked at us, her eyes made it clear that she was reliving the humiliation of the bet. The humiliation I'd brought on her.

Anger and hate for myself slammed into me, and I turned sharply, punching the locker as hard as I could. And then again. And again. My fist throbbed painfully as I leaned my forehead against the cold metal, squeezing my eyes shut. I had been such a selfish idiot sophomore year. I hadn't cared that I'd felt her falling for me. I'd refused to admit that I had been falling for her. All I'd cared about was beating Aaron Abbott and not giving him the satisfaction of winning the bet.

After changing, I headed back to my dorm. In the hall, I saw Zach Wilson, a junior from the swim team, leaving his dorm and called to him.

"Yo, dude. What's up?" Zach asked as he approached.

"Not much. You?" I replied, eager to get this over with.

He shrugged. "Headin' to Nicky's. You gonna be there tonight?"

"Not tonight, got a couple things I have to do. But I got a question."

"Shoot."

"You got that video this morning, right?" I asked, keeping my voice nonchalant.

He grinned. "Oh yeah, dude. Won't be getting' rid of that for a while."

I fought back a sudden urge to wipe that stupid grin off his face. Most of the guys in this school didn't deserve to see Cassie's body. Hell, I probably didn't deserve to have the memories of her that I had. I forced a grin of my own. "Mind sending it to me? Somehow it got deleted from my phone."

"Not a problem." He pulled out his cell and punched a few buttons, and moments later I felt my own cell vibrating in my pocket. "So, uh. Did she look that good when you fucked her?"

Again, I resisted an urge to punch him. This time I couldn't even force a smile. "That's something you're never going to find out." I turned and walked away.

In my dorm, I found Tyler laying on his bed, reading. He glanced my way when I walked in and nodded to me before returning to his book. I sat on the edge of my bed and pulled up the video, pausing it before it could play.

"What's up?" Tyler asked.

I took a deep breath and looked up at my best friend. "We're supposed to be able to do almost anything, right?"

Tyler frowned. "Uh, yeah. Strong Power and all."

"You've used to recharge your cell and laptop before?"

He nodded. "When I couldn't find the chargers. So?"

"So our Power works on technology."

His frown deepened. "What are you getting at?"

"Is it the same basics as using in general? Just focus on what we want to happen?" I continued, ignoring his question.

"Yeah," Tyler said slowly, eying my cell. "Why?"

I briefly considered not telling him, not wanting a lecture about using. Caleb had been getting to him. "Cassie's video."

He stared at me for a moment. "What about it?"

"If you can recharge your cell, I should be able to delete something from mine, right?"

"I thought you already deleted it?" he asked.

"I had someone send it to me again," I answered, still staring at my cell.

He was quiet for a minute. "What's your plan?"

I summoned my Power, my mind focused on my intent. I felt my eyes flame as I stared at the video on the little screen. And then the image was gone. Hesitantly, I scrolled through my cell, looking for any remnants of the video, but finding none. A surge of pride washed through me and I looked up at Tyler with a triumphant grin. "It worked."

He was studying me. "Okay. What's the rest of your plan?"

I gave a little chuckle. Baby Boy knew me so well. "If you help, I won't have to use so much of my own Power."

He cracked a smile. "Let me guess. You're going to try to get rid of her video from everyone's phones." Chuckling, he leaned back on his hands. "Damn, man."

"What?"

His smile grew. "Nothing."

"You going to help or not?" I asked, a little annoyed.

"Alright, alright." He leaned forward. "Tell me what to do."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! Please R&R and enjoy! I'm excited for this one and the next couple chapters. I think the story is coming to an end, but I will do my best to make it go out with a bang!**

I barely left my dorm for the rest of the weekend. The few times I did was to shower and make a quick run to the cafeteria, and only when I knew both places would be basically deserted. Some people would say that I was hiding from everyone; or as Kira had so kindly mentioned my first day back, I was sticking my head in a hole and not wanting to show my face again. But I didn't think of it like that. To me, I was mentally recovering from the humiliation. I hadn't cried since Friday afternoon, which I thought was pretty good, considering the circumstances. Though I hate when people pity me, I was glad that Rebecca willingly went to the cafeteria for me when it was a busy time so that I didn't have to face the student body before I was fully prepared mentally.

I had called Clarissa and Derek and talked to them about the video. No surprise, they both wanted to come down here and beat the shit out of everyone at the school. Despite my homesickness and the fact that I really missed them, I convinced them that it would be useless if they did that. Plus, this was something I needed to handle on my own. This was between the Spencer Academy students and me, no one else. And even though I was grateful I had friends to talk to about it, though they could never understand the humiliation, no matter how many times they say they do, I knew this was something I couldn't drag others into.

Sunday evening, I finished the homework I had been slowly working on all weekend and laid back on my bed. Rebecca had gone to a early evening movie with a guy she had started crushing on a couple weeks ago. I was honestly glad she had had the guts to ask him on a date, but at the same time I was worried. I hoped she didn't find out the hard way, like I did, why people always called it a crush: because if it doesn't work out, you feel crushed and it hurts. And you're slowly being crushed by your growing attachment and emotions for the person you like.

I laid back on my bed after dropping my completed homework on the floor and stared at the ceiling. Damn, life really sucked sometimes. The thought of facing everyone tomorrow after staying in my safe dorm all weekend made my stomach clench, and for a few brief moments, I missed my old self from freshman year, when I happily stayed in my dorm, didn't bother with friends or social situations, and eagerly let myself get lost in a good book.

My eyes drifted to my nightstand, where Reid's gift was still sitting. Slowly, I reached over and picked it up, staring at the book's cover. I had finished the series' previous book when I'd returned to Vermont in an attempt to forget what had happened, but it had only strengthened the memories. Now, I turned it over and read the back to learn about the story inside, and it was almost as though the last two years had not happened. By the time I'd read the short summary, I could remember almost everything that had happened in the series thus far. Biting my bottom lip, I opened to the first page and began reading.

By the time Rebecca walked into the dorm around nine, I had read about a quarter of the book. Guess I really had missed reading my romance books. I rolled over and set the book back on the nightstand as Rebecca flopped down on her bed.

She glanced at the book as I let go of it and smirked. "How's the romance novel?"

I shrugged. "Okay. I was bored and had finished my homework."

She rolled her eyes at my attempt to brush off my reading choice, stood, and changed into her night clothes.

"How was your date?"

She beamed. "Amazing!" Her hand fluttered over her heart to add dramatic flare. "He's so easy to talk to, and can keep up a conversation. He's not one of those guys who just wants to get laid, you know? Or at least he didn't act like that."

I forced a smile of encouragement. I hadn't thought Reid was like that either sophomore year, but I had been wrong. Or, I thought I had been wrong, because lately I've been rethinking everything about him.

Rebecca fell back onto her bed and looked up at the ceiling with a smile. "We're going out again on Friday."

I couldn't help but chuckle at her infatuation. "Did you at least get a goodbye kiss?"

She grinned at me. "You've seen too many chick flicks. Is that how all of your first dates have ended?"

I faltered for a second. I... I've never had a date, first or other. Reid had been the first guy I'd ever really liked as more than a friend, and we'd never gone on an actual date. We had just hung out a lot. And with other guys after that... well, we usually skipped formalities and went right to the sheets... or ground, or car, or wherever was convenient. Huh, guess I was more slutty than I'd thought.

"We're talking about your date, not mine," I said evasively. Thankfully she dropped her question without a fight.

"Yeah, we kissed." She paused as her grin turned into a private smile at the memory.

"Judging by that lovey-dovey look on your face, I'm going to guess that it was good?" I laughed, pushing the realization of my dateless life to the back of my mind.

She joined in with a laugh of her own. "It was really good." Her eyes slid to me. "I'm hoping to get a few more during the week, before our next date."

"Well the closet near the cafeteria is perfect for a little rendezvous," I said with a sly grin.

She shook her head at me, still laughing. "You would know."

The next morning, before leaving the dorm to shower, I took a few deep breaths, steadying my nerves before facing my so-called classmates. As I walked out, I held my head high and breezed past everyone, ignoring any comments. After a quick shower, I returned to the dorm and dressed, pulled my hair into a ponytail and applied a little eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow, grabbed my stuff, and waited for Rebecca to put the finishing touches on her make up.

When she was done, she turned to me and smiled.

"You look great," I said, answering her unasked question.

Her smile faltered. "Um, are you ready?"

With another deep breath, I nodded. "Let's just get the day over with." I followed her out and we headed to the cafeteria. The closer we got to the large room where this year's humiliation began, the more my stomach knotted. As Rebecca opened the door, a wave of nausea swept through me and I had to fight it back. I fucking hated this place.

Conversation paused as we walked in and all eyes found me. But when I didn't stop walking, it started back up in quiet whispers. My eyes briefly found Kira, and I frowned slightly when I saw that she looked very upset and kept casting glares my way. What had I done this time? I didn't even remember trying to piss her off this weekend! My steps slowed when I realized Brian was approaching me from his table of friends, who were eagerly watching the soon-to-happen interaction between us. My anger spiked as I waited for him to speak.

"So I have a question," he started with his cute half-smile.

I crossed my arms over my chest, lifting my chin slightly. I was still completely pissed at him for making that comment on Friday. "What?"

"Well, the video somehow got deleted from everyone's phones. Would you be up for another performance?"

Rebecca's jaw dropped. My arm pulled back as my fingers curled into a fist, and then moved forward fast. Brian's half-smile fell away.

But a black fingerless gloved hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed my wrist, stopping my fist from connecting with Brian's face. The all-too familiar tingling sensation crawled up my arm from where his hand was still touching my skin. His other black fingerless gloved hand shoved Brian back.

Glancing into his blue eyes, I saw the same silent message in them as I'd seen the day he had stopped me from hitting Kira. Hitting him was a bad idea. And he wasn't worth it.

"Get your food," Reid said quietly, giving me a small nudge in the direction of the kitchen. It was only then that I realized that everyone was watching us.

"Oh, come on. I'm sure you've done videos like that before," Brian said. "Someone with your reputation should be up for anything."

I rounded on him, ready to break his nose. But Reid was faster, and his fist connected with the side of Brian's face with enough force to send him flying onto his ass. Rebecca gasped beside me. For the shortest moment, I could have sworn that Reid's eyes were pitch black, but when he glanced at me, they were back to their usual beautiful blue.

"Mr. Garwin!" one of the teachers shrieked as she hurried over and stared down at Brian, who was gingerly rubbing the side of his face. She turned a disapproving glare on Reid. "The Provost's office. Now!"

Rolling his eyes, Reid turned to leave. But not before giving my hand a quick squeeze.

I watched him walk away. He had helped me. Again. And he had defended me.

And it was only after the door swung shut behind him that Brian's statement sank in. Somehow my video had been deleted from everyone's phones. How...?

Had Reid managed to delete it, like he said he would?


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: hi, here's the next chapter! it's a little longer than usual, but has a lot of information. I hoped everything is explained clearly. Enjoy!**

**And please REVIEW! your comments are very helpful and appreciated!**

The first two classes seemed to drag on forever. I couldn't even focus on what my teachers were babbling about. All I could think of was what had happened this morning, and wonder why Reid hadn't made it to either class yet. How much trouble had he gotten into for hitting Brian? Shit, what if he got expelled? All because of me. Groaning quietly, I let my head drop into my hands. As much as I hated to admit it, Reid hadn't given me a reason to hate him since I returned to Ipswich, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he got expelled for standing up for me. If that happened, I'd have to go to the provost and explain everything about the video; make him understand that Reid hadn't done anything wrong.

A dull throbbing started in my head, and I slowly rubbed my temples, trying to ease the oncoming headache. As embarrassing as it would be to tell the provost about the video, I would have to to make sure Reid was reinstated at the school. When the bell rang, signaling the end of second period, I hurried to my locker to put my stuff away before lunch. But as I walked toward it, I paused.

Reid was casually leaning against my locker, his arms folded loosely in front of him. He had changed out of his uniform and into dark baggy jeans and a long-sleeved dark blue shirt. I felt panic rising in me. Oh no, he really had been expelled if he wasn't in his uniform! But... why was he waiting in the hallway?

He glanced up as I slowly approached and shrugged off the locker, then smirked. "You can get a guy into a lot of trouble. You know that?"

My head fell back for a second and I groaned. "I knew it. You've been expelled." I looked at him. "Why did you step in? If you had stayed out of it–"

"Whoa, whoa. You think I've been expelled?" he chuckled and leaned on one shoulder against the locker beside mine. "Nah. Just suspended for three days."

I gaped at him. "That's almost as bad!" Yanking open my locker, I shoved my school things in and shut it. "I'll go talk to the provost and explain everything; get you back in school."

"Hold up, why would you do that?" Reid asked, staring at me as though I'd lost my mind.

"Because it wasn't your fault!"

"Yeah, but now I get three days off. It's like a mini vacation." He grinned. "And I get to start today."

I shook my head. "But you're being punished for something that wasn't your fault."

He shrugged, and a gleam entered his eyes. "Maybe I like being punished." He stepped closer and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Almost as much as I like being the one to do the punishing."

I suppressed a shiver as his breath caressed my skin.

He stepped back, his gaze roving over the curious students around us before returning to me. "You want to get out of here?"

I glanced around at the students as well before staring up at him, considering. "You asking me to skip classes just to hang out with you?"

"Maybe."

It was my turn to shrug and lean against my locker. "I don't know."

"Well it's the least you could do after getting me suspended."

I scoffed. "You're the one who stepped in and then threw a punch."

"All for you, baby." He flashed a smile that promised to make all of my wickedest fantasies come true.

Breathe. Remember to breathe. I swallowed, suddenly feeling like that sophomore girl I used to be when the cute blond boy first started talking to me. But I wasn't that girl anymore. I wasn't that girl anymore. I wasn't that girl anymore. "Fine. But I'm not doing this because of you. I'm doing this because I haven't skipped classes since last year, and I feel overdue for a ditch day."

He grinned. "Whatever makes you feel better about it. Let's go."

Half an hour later, after we stopped by my dorm so I could change into jeans and a V-neck tank top, Reid and I were sitting on the hood of his red 2006 Mustang at the dells, eating Taco Bell that he had apparently gone out and bought before returning to Spencer to wait by my locker at the end of second period. Even though the tacos were just lukewarm, it was still a nice treat after eating cafeteria food for weeks.

I peeked at Reid from the corner of my eye, studying his profile and working up the courage to break the surprisingly comfortable silence. "So... How did you get rid of the video?"

He glanced my way. "Who said it was me?"

I turned to face him and raised an unconvinced eyebrow.

He lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. "Guess I'm gifted."

I watched him for another few moments. "Thank you."

"Your welcome," he replied, briefly looking at me. "It's... the least I could do."

I opened my mouth to speak, but then closed it, not knowing what to say.

When I didn't respond, he added, "I'm sorry."

All I could focus on was the sincerity and guilt shimmering in his eyes, and right then I knew that everything between us had been real. It was an understanding that I couldn't explain if I had wanted to, but something that I just knew deep down. It was crazy, but I found myself says, "I know. And I... forgive you."

He frowned and shook his head. "Why?" Sliding off the car's hood, he began pacing while running a hand through his hair. "How could you forgive me after that?"

Biting my bottom lip, my gaze drifted to the ground as I tried to find a way to explain, when I didn't fully know why I could so easily forgive him. Especially when I had hated him so much when I'd first returned. Especially when he had used me in such a horrible way. I gave a short, sad chuckle. "I don't know. I just can." Lie. I fully knew why I forgave him. But saying it out loud would make it true. If only Reid Garwin had just acted like the jackass I had made him seem like in my mind after I came back here, then everything would have been so much easier.

Suddenly Reid was standing in front of me. "I need the truth."

I stared into his searching blue eyes. "I can't tell you that yet."

He frowned again. "Why not?"

"Because I don't know if I'm ready to face that truth."

His hand gently brushed my cheek, pushing a few strands of hair behind my ear. His voice was quiet when he spoke. "You used to tell me everything."

Resisting the urge to lean into his touch, I simply closed my eyes, luxuriating in the feel of his fingers on my skin. A craving to be closer to him washed through me followed by an urge to be honest with him. "That was then."

He sighed. "I know you think you can't trust me anymore. And I don't blame you. But I want you to know that you _can_ trust me. I understand that it might take a while for you to learn that, and I can wait. I just..." He looked away, his hand falling to his side. "I've hated myself for the past two and a half years for agreeing to that bet. My only defense for myself is that I was young and stupid, and I know that's a pathetic excuse for a defense that I shouldn't even be trying to make."

The pain in his voice stabbed at my heart. Just like our sophomore year, it was only when no one else was around that he let his walls down. I had always felt privileged that he'd let me past his walls, and I felt the same now. "Reid..." After a moment of silence, he turned to look at me. The last of my hate for him melted away, and I let it go. "I understand. And I forgive you."

He stared at me, incredulous. "Why?"

I gave him a small smile. "Because you were young, and very stupid." When he continued to stare at me, I went on. "Yes, I hated you for what you did to me. Yes, I ran away from the humiliation of not just losing my virginity to a guy trying to win a bet, but also from the entire student body who knew about the bet before you even tried to be my friend. But that day in your dorm... my first time... it happened the way I had always wanted it to be." His frown deepened, adding confusion to his incredulous expression. "I always wanted it to be with someone I cared about, and someone who cared about me."

Again he lifted his hand and traced my cheek, absently watching his fingers. "I do care about you."

For a moment, my breath caught. Did he realize that he'd just used present tense? That he'd said "care" instead of "cared"?

"Why do you screw around with guys?"

The sudden change in subject threw me off and I just blinked up at him for a minute. I'd never really thought about it before... but the answer came to me quickly. I swallowed. "Control."

Again, he frowned.

I cast my gaze to the ground, unable to look into his eyes during my confession. "That day in your dorm... I didn't have any control. It was all you, I only responded. And, I don't know. After I went back to Vermont, and had time to think about what had happened, I realized how easy I had been."

"No," Reid said, shaking his head. "You weren't easy at all. It took me nearly a full school year to make you comfortable enough for me to try to..." He trailed off, his eyes widening in horror at what he was saying.

I gave a short chuckle. "That's not what I meant. I was easy because I didn't try to stop you. I let you do what you wanted. Gave you total control over me. Once back in Vermont, I told myself that I would never give up that kind of control again. If anything like that was going to happen, it would be because I made it happen and I would have the control and upper hand." I shrugged, still not meeting his eyes. "With every guy since you, I always made sure I was the dominant one."

"That's kind of hot," he said, and I couldn't stop a small laugh.

"Almost as hot as you being the punisher," I quipped playfully. Despite the seriousness of the conversation, I loved that he could still break the tension by adding some kind of sexual spin to it.

"You didn't like not being in control?" he asked, the humor fading from his tone.

That was the one question I had hoped he wouldn't ask. Nervously, I chewed on my bottom lip, not wanting to answer, yet knowing that I had to. We were being honest with each other, both of us. And I was enjoying this time with him. I didn't want to ruin our slowly healing friendship, because even though what he had done was wrong, I missed him. "No." I swallowed and took a deep breath. "That's just it. I did like it. I didn't like the circumstances that I found out about later, but I really liked being with you. And I really liked that you took control like you did. That first time... it was special to me because we cared about each other. I didn't want any other time to be similar to it."

Reid put one finger under my chin and lifted my head, gently forcing me to look at him. And when I did, he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: hey everyone! here's the continuation of the big moment you've all been waiting for! enjoy! and please remember to R&R!**

At first I sat frozen in place, a jumble of thoughts fighting for dominance in my head. I didn't know what to do, and the familiar warm tingle that always accompanied Reid's touch was spreading from our lips through my entire body, lighting a fire inside me that I hadn't felt since he had kissed me that first time. But just when I was about to give in to the growing fire, he pulled away, stepping back to put distance between us. I felt suddenly cold without his heat, and could only stare up at him as he dragged his fingers through his hair, not looking at me.

"I shouldn't have done that," he said, closing his eyes briefly to summon control. "I'm sorry. That was moving way too fast."

I sucked in small gulps of air, trying to calm my racing heart. My mind flashed between that day in his dorm, my fantasy in the shower, and this moment. "Reid." I waited until he turned to me, and then continued. "Come here."

He shook his head. "I can't guarantee that I'll stop if I touch you again."

I licked my lips, unable to look away from him. "I missed you, too."

In two long strides he was in front of me again, his lips crashing against mine. His hands went to my waist and pulled me closer as he leaned down. My fingers fisted in his hair as I eagerly returned his kiss, loving the way his tongue rolled against mine and found every crevice of my mouth with ease, as though he had memorized it during our first kiss and never forgot. Each thrust of his tongue added fuel to the growing inferno inside me, and I couldn't seem to get close enough to him. As his fingers danced along my sides and hips, my hands moved to the bottom of his shirt and tried to yank it up.

But he stopped me, breaking the fiery kiss to look into my eyes. "Uh-uh."

"Reid, please," I said, noting how breathy my voice sounded. "I want to be with you again. I need you, now. Please."

He rested his forehead against mine as he heaved in air. His hands grasped the bottom of my shirt. "Last time, my main focus was on me. This time, it's all about you."

Tilting my head, I captured his mouth in an intense kiss that he quickly returned, but broke away too soon.

He stared into my eyes, his gaze seeking my permission. "Let me have control right now."

I swallowed, debating, and then slowly nodded and let him pull my shirt off and cast it to the ground. He stared at my lacy bra for a moment before reaching behind me to unclasp it, and dropped it on the discarded shirt. He took one step back, and heat began rising to my face as his eyes hungrily appraised my newly exposed upper body. Lifting his hands, he let his fingers gently graze along the sides of my breasts, sending a shiver down my spine. Leaning in, he took my mouth in a slow, sultry kiss. His hands cupped my breasts and began kneading them in an easy pace that matched the kiss, his thumbs lazily teasing my nipples into hard little pebbles.

His mouth left my lips and began trailing hot kisses down my front, and I leaned back on my hands to give him full access. When his tongue grazed one of my nipples, my head fell back and I sucked in a shaky breath. But when he took the nipple into his hot mouth, his tongue still dancing along it, I let out a low moan as my eyes squeezed shut as my body arched into his touch. He switched his attention to the other breast, and I couldn't continue holding myself up. Sensing my intent, his arm locked around my back and gently lowered me to the car's hood, his other arm easing me further up on the hood so that I was fully sprawled across it, his mouth never leaving my sensitive flesh.

His fingers found the button of my jeans and easily slipped it through the small hole. Leaving my breasts, he kissed down my stomach, taking time to dip his warm tongue into my navel, drawing a gasp from me, before continuing. Unable to help it, I peered down at him, and my breath caught when his hungry eyes locked with mine and he slowly unzipped my jeans' zipper with his teeth, his gaze never wavering. He hooked his fingers around the jeans' waistband and pulled them down my legs, taking my panties with them, and then tossed them down with my shirt and bra.

He stood back, his eyes heatedly roving over my naked body, resting between my legs. And for the first time since he started kissing me, I realized what he was planning.

Swallowing past my sudden nervousness, I sat up, drawing his attention to my face. "Reid..." I trailed off, not knowing how to say what I wanted to.

He smiled and stepped in closer, cupping my cheek with one hand. "Relax. Let me do all the work, okay?"

"I..." Glancing away, I looked at the ground beside us, not wanting to see his reaction to my confession. "I don't know about this."

He chuckled, his free hand trailing down my side to my hip, causing another shiver. "Just relax."

"It's just... I've nev..." I paused, hoping to collect myself enough to get it out. Why was this so hard to say? Damn, I felt like such a virgin all of a sudden. "No one's..." I let out a hard sigh. What the hell was wrong with me? Chancing a glance at Reid, my face heated even more when I saw his smile turning into a smirk.

"You've never had a guy go down on you?" he asked, trying hide his amusement. When I didn't answer, he cocked his head to the side. "Why not?"

I shrugged. "I just... hadn't wanted to." Derek had offered a few times, before and after I'd blown him, but I'd refused. I didn't know why, I had just never wanted to try it... until now. Again, what the hell was wrong with me?

"But you do now?"

"Maybe," I said, not wanting him to know just how eager I suddenly was to experience it for the first time, with him.

His hand moved between my legs, and he circled my opening with one finger, causing me to shudder in anticipation. "Just maybe?"

When I didn't answer, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips, but pulled away just as I was getting into it, and kissed down my neck, between my breasts, along my stomach, again dipping his tongue into my navel, and then lower, making nervous energy zing up my spine. I leaned back on my hands, my eyes sliding shut as his warm lips brushed against my sensitive center. I let out an involuntary moan.

"Lean all the way back, and say you want it," he breathed, his warm breath dancing along my creases.

I laid down, the cool metal of the car's hood causing goosebumps to erupt along my hot skin.

"Say it." He pressed a kiss to my inner thigh, and to the other.

"Just do it," I said, unable to open my eyes.

His tongue flicked against my lower lips, withdrawing quickly, drawing a gasp from me. "Uh-uh. Say it."

I didn't want to respond; didn't want to give him that satisfaction. But _damn_, he was torturing me. Why couldn't he just do it? Why did he have to make me beg?

"Say it," he repeated, and then his tongue briefly found my bud.

I sucked in a sharp breath, unable to fight anymore. "Fine, alright," I gasped, spreading my legs a little farther. "I want it. Please, I want it."

He kissed my bud, and his hot breath moved, and then his tongue dove into my plump slit. I gasped again as my body arched into him. With each swift brush of his tongue inside me, my body shivered. This time, he let out a low moan, and the vibrations pushed their way up through my abdomen in intense waves. He left my center and began drizzling pleasure in my folds, intermittently nipping and teasing my bud, and agonizingly circling my opening with his tongue, making it flutter with almost-contractions. And then he plunged into my slit again, his hot tongue plundering my inner walls with its strong strokes. But it was when he began humming, sending more varying vibrations into me, that I lost my mind to the pleasure and began meeting each of his tongue's thrusts with an arch of my hips. He continued probing when my contractions started as heat built in my lower belly, and my walls closed around his tongue, squeezing, then loosening, then repeating, his tongue never ceasing its delightful movements. I called out his name as my release came, the intense pleasure bringing tears to my eyes. He lapped at everything I gave, each sweet caress prolonging the orgasm.

When it finally ended, I collapsed on the car's hood, breathing heavily. I peered down at him, and his eyes met mine as he lifted his head, licking his lips. He smirked, pressed a kiss against my center, then stepped back to stare down at me, admiring his handiwork.

"Feel better?" he asked, amused.

"Much," I breathed. Damn, I would definitely be thanking him, and soon.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: hey everyone! sorry for a later update, I got a little sidetracked... but here's the next chapter! As I said a couple chapters ago, this story is coming to an end. So I think the next chapter might be the last. But please enjoy the following!**

Reid inhaled a few deep breaths, took a couple steps back, and turned away, giving me his back. I slowly sat up, trying to steady my body enough to focus. Daaaamn, that guy was good with his mouth. Holy. Shit. I watched him for a minute. Watched shoulders rise and fall as he continued to inhale deeply. Licking my lips, I slid off the hood of the car, waiting until my legs stopped shaking before putting all of my weight on them, and then slowly walked to him.

"Reid?" I asked, pausing behind him.

He shook his head. "Give me a minute."

Fighting back a smile, I moved around to stand in front of him. His eyes were closed and he was still taking in calming breaths. I reached for his jeans' button and zipper, but he grabbed my hands as his eyes snapped open.

"Don't."

I titled my head with a small smile. "I was going to return the favor."

He swallowed, considering. Then shook his head. "Give me a few minutes and I'll be cool."

My lips pushed into a pout and pressed myself up against the length of his body, the roughness of his jeans brushing my bare legs and his soft shirt grazing my nipples. The feel of his clothes on my still sensitive skin turned my nipples into hard little pebbles again, and I had to suppress a shudder.

He let out a quiet groaned when I moved against his erection, and it took a lot of self control to keep from letting out my own moan.

"You're dangerous to a guy," he croaked, his eyes sliding shut.

"Let me help." Again I tried to undo his jeans, and again he stopped me.

"This was about you. Don't worry about me, alright?"

"If this is about me, then let me do it," I said. "I want to." He opened his eyes and stared at me for a few moments. "I want to," I repeated, my gaze not wavering. And this time when I reached for his jeans' button, he let me push it through the hole and then pull the zipper down. "I only have one condition."

He nodded to show he was listening.

"I don't swallow. Tell me before you come, and I'll finish you with my hand."

"Okay," he agreed.

I gave him a slow, sly smile. "Now let me do all the work." I sank to my knees, and then pulled down his jeans and boxers, unveiling his fully erected manhood, and ordered him to step out of the clothes. I licked my lips and glanced up at his face from under my lashes, my eyes meeting his desire-lit ones, flashed him one more smile, and then leaned in and ran my tongue along the underside of his member, from bottom to top.

He shivered and closed his eyes, his head falling back. When I flicked my tongue against his tip, he sucked in a shaky breath. But it was when I took almost all of him into my mouth that he let out a deep moan, reflexively moving his hips in a small thrust. I grabbed his hips and he stilled, gulping short breaths of air. I began moving my mouth up and down his shaft, alternating between using my entire mouth, my lips, my teeth, and my tongue. Damn, I hadn't realized how big he was when we'd first hooked up in his dorm two years ago, and had never really thought about it since. Reaching up, I took his testicles in my hands, gently squeezing and rubbing, running my fingers along the skin connecting them to his body.

His hands fisted in my hair, urging me on. I increased my pace, and then paused, resting my lips against the head of his shaft and hummed a low tune.

He moaned and moved closer, putting me almost completely beneath him between his legs, forcing me to lean back a bit, his fingers tightening in my hair. Holding back a chuckle, I took him into my mouth completely. When my lips were at his base, I began humming again, slowly pulling back, creating vibrations all the way down his length. His breathing was ragged by the time I reached his tip. When I licked his head, I tasted a few salty drops. He shuddered and tugged at my hair, signaling me to stop.

Shuffling back, I stood and ran my nails along his member, drawing another shiver from him. Wrapping my fingers around him, I moved my hand up and down his shaft, and moments later he came hard. He clutched my upper arms tightly, holding me back just enough to keep his seed from spilling onto me, but close enough so that my hand could continue its swift movements, continuing to milk him. His body was shaking from the orgasm, and when he finished, his head fell onto my bare shoulder and he sucked in deep breaths, still clutching my arms.

"_Fuck_," he breathed.

I chuckled. "Did I pay you back in full?"

"Definitely," he said, still panting. I started to pull away, but his grip tightened. "Uh-uh. Not done." He jerked me forward into his body, and his hard shaft pressed into my lower stomach. He turned his head and began kissing my neck, intermittently nipping and sucking.

My eyes slid shut from the sensation, and I almost gave in. But stopped myself. "Uh-uh," I echoed, forcing my feet to move back.

He growled his displeasure and tried to pull me back to him, but I held my ground, barely.

"Uh-uh," I repeated. "Maybe later." I needed a little time to think. Everything between us was happening so fast, my mind just needed time to catch up. With an annoyed sigh, he let me go. I felt... disappointed. Yes, I had refused. But I had almost wanted him to ignore that small detail and just take me. I gave an awkward nod and walked around him to get my clothes. But as I was leaning down to pick up my panties, He grabbed my waist and shoved me onto the hood of his car. And I realized that he was shirtless. Fully naked, like me. And his erect member was poised at my opening.

"We're not done," he said, his voice a low growl.

My body hummed and trembled with delicious anticipation and nervousness, and I was already wet. Maybe it was because he had been my first, but Reid was different than every other guy I'd been with. My body's reaction when he was near was different than with other guys. And I loved it.

My hands moved to his shoulders, and I felt his muscles tense as he prepared to enter me.

And then I groaned in aggravation. "We can't."

His frown was deep, almost angry. "Why. Not?"

"Condom," I answered, and he also groaned, his head dropping to my shoulder in defeat.

"I... I don't have any," he confessed. "I didn't think I'd need it today." He paused. "The plan was to just talk."

"Shit," I sighed, almost hating myself for bringing it up. Maybe... maybe he could just pull out? I mentally chastised myself. Hell no. I was _not_ willing to take that chance. You could never trust a guy if he said he'd just pull out. He was more than likely to forget once he was inside. What was the saying? No glove, no love. _Damn!_

"You?" he asked hopefully.

I shook my head, frustrated. "Same as you. Never thought I'd need one today..."

"It's still somewhat early. People should still be in classes," he said, glancing into my eyes, hunger and desire glittering in his blue orbs.

I licked my lips, and his eyes immediately dropped to my mouth. "Who's dorm?"

"You choose."

I paused, thinking. Yes, who's dorm? How many girls had he brought back to his dorm and had rolled around in his bed with? Suddenly, I felt selfish. This time, when he was with me, he would _only_ be thinking of me. We would not be surrounded by the ghosts of his past playthings, or some damn bet. It would be just me and him.

"Mine," I replied.

A slow smile turned his lips up. "Let's hurry."


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Alright everyone, here is the final chapter! I tried to cover many things, and I hope it all makes sense and flows nicely. I want to thank everyone for reading, especially those who reviewed. You guys are the reason I finished this story! I hope you guys think this chapter is a great ending. **

**Please read and review! I would love to hear your thoughts on the finale!**

After frantically throwing on our clothes and jumping into the car, Reid stepped on the gas and we raced back to Spencer Academy. I had never been so turned on. My clothes clung to my insanely sensitive skin. Moving my legs caused my jeans to rub against my center, making me want to moan. My nipples were still hard, and my shirt's material was brushing against them with small, torturous grazes.

But it was when Reid reached over with his free hand and pressed his fingers between my legs that I momentarily lost control and moaned, arching into his touch. I grabbed his hand to stop his fingers from rubbing against me, but couldn't make myself do any more than that. I could feel it. That wonderful edge that I just wanted to fall over. Shit, this guy was good. He didn't even need skin-to-skin contact to bring me to orgasm. But just as I was about to fall, his fingers stopped moving.

Growling my annoyance, I tried wriggling my hips against his still fingers, moving them up and down in a desperate attempt to mimic his strokes.

He chuckled and pulled his hand away.

"Bastard," I hissed, squeezing my eyes shut and banging my head against the back of my seat in frustration. I almost tried to relieve myself, but thought better of it, wanting to preserve what little dignity and pride I had left after giving in to the guy I had sworn to hate. His only response was another deep laugh.

When the car came to a stop and the engine was shut off, Reid and I stumbled out of our seats and practically ran to the dorms, ignoring the few people who were milling about, either skipping class or enjoying a free period. I fished my key out of my pocket while taking the stairs two at a time. Screw finesse, or charm, or sexy foreplay. I wanted... no, needed him inside me. Now. Fumbling a bit in my haste, it took a little longer to unlock and open the door. Reid, however, didn't waste any time and pressed against me, kissing and nipping my neck.

Shoving the door open, I spun, fisted his shirt, and yanked him inside. He slammed the door closed seconds before my lips crashed against his in a furious kiss. His tongue met mine with the same intensity, and he pushed me back until the back of my knees bumped into my bed and we tumbled down onto the blankets. Blindly, I reached out and searched the small drawer of my bedside table and pulled out a condom, fumbling to get it out of the package. Desperation was what drove us. There were no questions. We _had_ to have skin to skin contact.

He yanked my shirt over my head as I nearly ripped his shirt from his body. As soon as the shirts were thrown out of our hands, our mouths again met, taking and giving, mimicking what we wanted our bodies to be doing. We frantically worked at each others' jeans, breaking our lips apart just enough to laugh at our tangled mess of legs and the jeans that suddenly seemed reluctant to come off.

Each brush of his fingers or hand against my bare skin sent a pleasurable shiver down my spine. Anticipation thrummed inside me, growing rapidly as my bra and panties came off. Hooking my fingers in his boxers' waistband, I pulled them down, freeing his still-erect member. I quickly slid the condom over him.

He kicked the boxers off onto the floor and shoved his knee between my leg, but I pressed my hands against him and used both our weights to flip him onto his back. A little shocked, he moved easily and blinked up at me. Then flashed me a devilish grin as his hands slid to my hips. Returning his grin with an impish one of my own, I reached beneath my and gripped him, then slowly lowered my body, guiding him in with my hand. We moaned in unison, our eyes fluttering closed. I began moving up and down, rocking my hips each time I lowered to his base. His fingers dug into my skin hard enough to leave marks as he urged me on. But I didn't care. Everything with him felt _so good_.

The new angle of entry caused his tip to hit my more sensitive sweet spot, and before I knew it I was plummeting over the edge. I cried out, Reid's name getting caught in my throat.

Before I was finished, he flipped us again, pinning me beneath him, yet accidentally pulling himself free. He groaned and drove into me, sending me over the edge again as his body shook with his own intense orgasm. He paused, reveling in the feeling, and then began pumping. He captured my mouth, initiating a kiss that was the same pace as our moving hips. My hands cupped his ass, my nails digging into his skin, my body arching up to meet each of his thrusts, taking him deep inside me.

Sweat covered our bodies, the drops melting into the others'. He bent his head and sucked one of my nipples into his mouth, never breaking the pace of our hips. My arms moved up, hooking around his shoulders. He moved and sucked on the other nipple, paying it the same amount of attention before burying his face in the crook of my neck.

Heat sparked in my abdomen, the sensation growing as I hurled toward that wonderful moment. And then the third orgasm crashed through me.

"REID!" My nails scored down his back, no doubt leaving long, red marks.

His orgasm happened when my nails reached the bottom of his back, and he shuddered with the waves of pleasure, finally stopping his thrusts and collapsing on me when he came back from the bliss.

I wiggled a little, trying to ease away from his crushing weight, and he rolled off onto his back.

We laid like that for many silent minutes, just working on steadying our breathing and basking in the sweet pleasure of the moment.

My heart was still beating wildly in my chest; the sensations from the last orgasm were slowly ebbing. I was tingling all over, and had to force my toes to uncurl. Turning my head, I looked over at Reid, who also turned to meet my gaze. When I smiled, he grinned back. And then we began laughing.

"That... was..." he began between fits of laughter.

"Amazing," I finished. Damn, did I feel good.

"I love you," Reid breathed, still chuckling.

I froze, my laughter dying quickly, and just stared at him. My heart skipped a beat. Then I sat up, turning my back to him. "Why'd you have to say that?"

His fingers trailed down my back, and though I knew I should move out of reach, I didn't want to. I enjoyed his touch, more than I probably should.

He sat up as well, and wrapped his arm around my waist, anchoring me beside him as though expecting me to bolt. Which a part of me wanted to do.

"Sorry if it caught you off guard. But it's true. I should have said it two years ago, but... well, you knew how I was then. Young and stupid."

Pulling away from him, I stood and walked closer to the small bathroom. I just needed a little distance, a little time to think. My head was suddenly spinning. Love? He loved me? Simply thinking it made my heartbeat flutter. Two years ago, those were the three words I had wanted to hear most from him the closer we had gotten to the end of the school year. I breathed in, breathed out, trying to steady myself and organize my thoughts.

"You don't have to say it back," he said gently. "I understand. I just wanted you to know how I felt."

Swallowing past a lump in my throat, I closed my eyes. Was it wrong to feel a thrill at hearing those words from the guy who had broken my heart? Again, I froze for a moment. Had he broken my heart? If so, that would mean that I had loved him, too. I wrapped my arms around my waist as the truth sank in. I couldn't pretend anymore. Not after he said that. Yes, I had loved him two years ago. And I also had to admit that a part of me still loved him, which was why I couldn't hold on to my anger when he was near. Which was why I had forgiven him at the dells.

He slid from the bed and slowly approached me. When his hands trailed down my arms, I turned my head to peer up at him.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured.

"I know," I replied quietly. He had been honest with me; I had to be honest with him. "But I can't go through something like that again. I had fallen for you, and then you'd thrown me away. And I've worked really hard to climb back up the ladder." My bottom lip quivered as I tried to keep my emotions in check and explain what I needed to without reliving the pain. But it was hard to keep them separate.

I hadn't realized silent tears had rolled down my cheeks until he turned me and brushed them away with his thumbs. And it was then that I noticed the small amount of fear in his eyes.

"I want to say that I'll never hurt you again. But I won't make a promise I might not be able to keep." He glanced away. "And since we're being honest with each other... there's something about me that you need to know. But please, _please_ understand that you don't have to be afraid. And please remember that it's still the same me. You just now know the most important secret in my family."

"Reid...?"

He cupped my face with one hand. "Please don't be scared."

And then flames spread from his pupils, and his beautiful blue eyes turned onyx.

Gasping, I jerked away in surprise, unable to take my eyes off his suddenly completely black ones. I took a few more steps back, just staring at him. My mouth opened and closed many times, and from a small part of my mind I could almost see how fish-like and comical I probably looked.

"Don't be scared," he repeated.

"What... what are you?" I finally managed to ask.

"A witch," he answered, remaining still and giving me the space I needed. "If you sit down, I can tell you everything."

Ignoring my wobbly legs, I shook my head. But when the flames spread through his eyes again, returning them to their wonderful blue, I slowly sat down, not knowing if I was going to end up on furniture or the floor. I felt Rebecca's bed under me, and let my entire weight sink onto the mattress. I swallowed past a new lump in my throat. "A witch." Pause, think, absorb. "Okay. Um." What the hell was I supposed to say? Congratulations?

"I know you're freaked out," he said, sitting across from me on my bed. "And I'm sorry to throw so much at you so quickly. I just wanted to be one hundred percent honest with you."

I nodded. "Yes, I can tell. I just... need a few minutes."

He sat quietly and studied me. I could almost feel his panic rising the longer I remained quiet.

Finally, I spoke. "What... exactly can you do?"

"Almost anything."

I stared at him, the wheels in my mind turning rapidly. "That's how you got rid of the video from everyone's phones."

"Yes."

Brownie points for him. "Okay." I ran my hands down my face and let out a long breath. "Okay." A recent memory flashed through my mind, and my eyes narrowed at him. "That night, in Nicky's parking lot..."

His lips twitched, but he was smart enough to keep from smiling. "Yeah." He shrugged and leaned back on his hands. "Couldn't help it. The moment was there, and I had to take it."

"What else do you have to explain?"

He sighed. "It's more of a history lesson. But only if you're up for it."

I bit my lower lip, considering. "Before Nicky's, had you ever used your... powers on me before? For any reason?"

"No." That one word and his tone left no room for doubt.

I paused, thinking, processing. "Everything that happened between us two years ago...?"

His gaze never wavered from mine. "It started as a bet. But within two months, it was the beginning of a real friendship. And by the end... I only went through with the bet to try and prove that I hadn't fallen for you. But after you left my dorm, I knew I'd made the biggest mistake of my life."

I was going soft. I could feel myself getting sappy over his words. Damn it. Why couldn't he have been the jerk I had told myself he was? Why couldn't he have just acted like a jackass and leave me alone? Damn it. Damn him. And damn my heart.

"I can't say it back. Maybe with more time... but not now."

"That's okay." He smiled, relieved. "It's a lot more than I'd hoped for."

"You need to explain everything about you being a... a witch. I'm trying really hard not to freak out right now, so you're still going to have to give me time."

"I understand."

"And no witchy stuff around me until I'm not so freaked."

"You're just full of conditions, aren't you?" he teased.

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, I cracked a smile. "Yes, I am. And if you want me to stick around, you need to be okay with that."

He stood and walked to me, bending to put his face close to mine. "Done."

And then he captured my mouth in a searing kiss. A promise that he would make up for the idiotic thing he had done to me two years ago.


	27. Author's Note :)

Hi everyone!

I know I've been MIA for a while, and I apologize. But I have an excellent reason why and some great news I'd like to share!

I recently submitted a book I have been working on to an author's contest in January and won! I'm going to be published this spring! It will be available in paperback format and e-book format. I'm sure it is something many of you would enjoy - it's about a witch who must protect her loved ones from a demon that is determined to destory the witch's bloodline.

Because you have all been such loyal readers, I wanted to share my book's facebook page. LIKE it to stay updated on details and the release date.

I'm also listing the book's webpage on Deep Sea Publishing's website so you can learn more about it :)

FF won't let me post the links, so Private Message me and I'll send them to you!

Don't be shy, check it out!

The Gallivan Legacy is coming soon!


	28. Author's Note 2 - EXCITING NEWS

My book is NOW AVAILABLE!

You can buy a limited number of signed, numbered copies, as well as normal paperback and ebook, from Deep Sea Publishing's website, and you can also buy paperback and ebook formats on Amazon's website!

The links are on The Gallivan Legacy FB page – simply go to facebook and type The Gallivan Legacy into the search bar – it should be the only book page with that title :)

If you want direct links to the Amazon and Deep Sea Publishing webpages then PM me!

Don't be shy, check it out :)

The Gallivan Legacy is Now Available!


	29. Author Note - don't be shy :)

Hey guys!

Okay, I know you might be a little annoyed that I keep posting about my book. I'm sorry. I merely want to keep you all in the loop :) You've been so great over the years, I just want to share this experience with you!

In case anyone is interested, you can now follow my book The Gallivan Legacy on Twitter. Simply look for GallivanLegacy and click that pretty follow button :)

I'll be hosting contests and giveaways on Twitter and Facebook in the near future, so don't miss out!

Thank you again to all my loyal readers! Your support is greatly appreciated! And don't worry, you haven't heard the last of me. I have a few FF story ideas that may be posted soon.

Don't be shy, check out the Twitter and Facebook pages! :)


End file.
